Joshaya Oneshots
by MIonthia
Summary: Ficlets of Joshua (Josh) Matthews X Maya Hart. Or just Joshaya. I mean, whatever floats your boat, right?
1. Train Stops

_Before;_

 _"Maya!" Riley screamed, unable to believe she was really having this fight with Maya. "Riley, you can't say to my face that we have been spending time together. I know you have a boyfriend now, but when I told him to choose you, I didn't think I was telling Lucas to take my best friend from me." Maya said quickly, Riley and she hadn't seen each other for awhile now, a few days. Because Riley was always busy with Lucas. Maya had almost no one else, she was always with Riley, they were best friends. "Thunder," Riley said, putting her hand. Maya looked heartbroken, she couldn't say it. Lightning, her stomach made a pit and her heart landed in it. "Thunder," Riley repeated. Maya climbed out the window. Leaving Riley with tears starting to come to her eyes._

 _Now;_

Maya was sitting on the subway, going home from Riley's. She sat leaning over her hands, that was leaning on her legs. "Bad day?" A familiar deep voice said to her. Usually, Joshua Mathews could make her go crazy, but not when she and Riley were fighting. Maya looked up, he was leaning against a pole looking at her, concern etched on his face. Memories flooded back to her, _The Ski Lodge_ , her mind whispered to her. _"I like you, too," Josh said._

Maya offered a weak smile, "What are you doing here?" He sat down next to her, his scent making her lean back to make eyes contact. "I'm visiting Cory and Topanga, Family Game Night. What's going on, Maya?" Family Game Night, she forgot, that was why she was there in the first place, but then started the fight. She debated telling Josh, involving him in the mess of their relationships with Lucas. "Just girl stuff," Maya tried to play it off as a joke. Then she realized, how Josh never looked away from her when she was speaking or they were in a conversation. It brought a flutter to her heart to know he always paid attention.

"Riley's always with Lucas, she can't even come to the bay window anymore." Josh raised her brows in disbelief. "Wait, her and Lucas are dating?" Maya nodded her head, making a straight line with her lips. "Then don't you think it's normal for you not to see her a couple hours?" Maya looked at his serious face. "Days. Five days, no bay window, no Rileytown for Mayaville." Josh straightened when he saw how serious Maya was about Rileytown. "I kinda miss it," she faked a smile.

Josh took Maya under his arm into a hug, she just closed her eyes tightly, waiting for all this to be some bad dream. The triangle never happened, Riley was never torn from Maya and all this drama never happened. That would be a miracle. Sadly, life isn't a fairy tale for Maya Hart. The doors opened, this would be Josh's exit to make it to the Mathew's. But he stayed planted next to Maya, only giving the opening doors a glance.

Maya looked confused, "Aren't you going to the Mathew's?" He looked at her with a smile, "I think I'll help out a friend first." A few people walked out, a few in, and Josh stayed with Maya. She smiled at him, thankful one of Mathew's family didn't want to be away from her disordered life. "So, you drawing anything new yet?" He tried to spark the conversation, bringing up art was the sure way to Maya's heart, not that he wasn't already in her Dungeon Of Sadness. Maya smiled, "What are you talking about?"

"What? You can pay attention to me, but I can't pay attention to you?" He smiled at her, and she gave him a toothy grin. Josh noted how Maya's face lit up when she spoke about art, just another thing to like. Maya noted how Josh watched her like he wanted to know, exactly what made her speak with a big smirk. Then, they were at another stop, and Maya decided she needed a drink from a vending machine. She went to go get one, leaving Josh on the seat, waiting for her. Maya got herself some Lay's Original Chips and was walking back to the train when a boy caught her attention.

He kept looking at her with a raised brow, and being Maya Hart, she walked over. "What are you looking at?" He looked up at her, "A train." Maya looked him up and down in inspection, she didn't find him that attractive. But, Josh was waiting for her, so she started walking when the boy said something else. "Who happens to have a beautiful girl on it." He was grinning at her, and she narrowed her eyes at him, after slightly blushing for a second. "Thanks, Cheese-boy, but I think I'll be on my way." After all, he was eating a cheese sandwich, she knew that much. "What's the rush?" He asked, trying to get her to stop. Maya turned around to face him one more time, "You got something interesting for me to see?"

"I got two tickets to a movie," he said, clearly suggesting they go together. "What movie?" Maya asked, nodding to the tickets now in his hands. "Spy On a Date. Adventure, romance, all in one. Wanna go?" Maya raised a brow, feeling an arm go over her shoulder. "We have somewhere to be, but thanks," Josh spoke, and Maya grinned slightly. "Who are you?" The boy asked him, Josh made no reaction, keeping his smirk going and his arm around Maya. For a little while, she forgot about her problems with Riley. "Uncle Boing, you?" Maya's face lit up and she grinned, looking at Josh who looked at her and smiled at her reaction to the name.

"'Uncle Boing'?" Cheese-boy said with a look that said they were stupid. "Yeah, you got a problem with that, huh, Cheese-boy?" Maya snapped, watching the boy go frightened. "Nope, no problem at all, keep going." Maya grinned, putting her arm around Josh to make them stick closer, he rolled his eyes but she ignored it. He was still smiling, watching her reaction- so, her big smile. "So, Uncle Boing, where are we going? The train? Movies?" Maya was excited, mostly because it was with Josh.

"Family Game Night." Her smile faded, she took her arm away from Uncle Boing and walked to the wall. Josh wasn't smiling either, he followed her, putting his shoulder on Maya as she watched her reflection in the vending machine. Watching the frown on her face, the fear of facing Riley in her eyes. The hurt that she'd caused herself by hurting Riley. "It's time," Josh said. His voice soothed her, making her nod quietly. "You'll be there right?"

"Of course, Gorgeous," Josh said, calling her his very occasional nickname. Maya looked down as they walked back to the train, Cheese-boy called out to her. "See ya, Beautiful," he said it with a smile on his face and Maya had to whack it off. She put your hand out to cover his face from her view, "Please, Cheese-boy, I'm with Uncle Boing." Josh smiled at her joke as they walked back onto the train, heading for the Mathew's.

She was surprised to see the game unfolded, unplayed, boxed on the coffee table. And the family sitting in the kitchen, as if waiting for them. Mr. Mathews looked overjoyed at their arrival. "Yay! They're here, we can play!" He ran to the coffee table and started setting the game board out. Maya watched him confusingly, "Huh?"

"Riley wouldn't let us play without you, and Cory wouldn't let us play without Josh," Topanga explained. As if on cue, Cory let the first one out. "My brother!"

"My brother!" Josh still had his arm hooked on her shoulder, the side opposite of him, his hand practically hooking around her entire body. If Riley wasn't walking to stand right in front of her, she might have been giddy like all the other times. Come on, who doesn't Uncle Boing have that effect on? No one. Exactly! "Maya."

"Riley."

"I promised to be with you. I failed. You're my sister, can you forgive me? Thunder?"

"You didn't fail, Riles, maybe I could have spoken up with _speaking_ _up_. Lightning." Maya held her hand up to high five Riley's. They hugged tightly and were interrupted by Auggie screaming. "Josh is on my team!" Maya ran over to them, grabbing Josh by the hand and pulling him to sit by her. "Mine!" Auggie backed his head, looking shocked. "Gosh, woman, he's already your husband!" Maya smiled, showing the dimples Josh knew he loved, making that sound of a closed-mouth chuckle. "I know," Maya said. She looked at Josh and poked her finger on his forehead. "Boing!" Josh sighed, but he was grinning, "Uncle Boing."

"And my husband, forever."

Then, Topanga being Topanga and awesome at noticing Josh's weird behavior. "Josh, why was your arm around Maya?" Maya's face lit up in enjoyment again, slowly turning to him again. He sat there, wide-eyed and looking at Topanga, his cheeks changing into a light red.

He jumped over a seat, sitting by Auggie. "Yay!" The child screamed. Maya frowned, "Husband!" Josh raised his eyebrows, "Stop embarrassing me!" Maya repeated her yell, "Husband!" Josh looked down at Auggie, "You mind?"

"Ava's my wife, _60 years_ , so I have to tell you good luck." Maya smiled as Auggie shoved him over by her, "You're the one who called yourself Uncle Boing, and that means mine."

"I never said I was yours!"

"Game time!" Mr. Mathews yelled, setting it out.


	2. Once Upon A Song Title

_"How do you know you're not being selfish?" His own mind was doubting himself._

 _"I believe her, and she says she's ready. For everything the world has."_

 _"You've already seen what the world has, and your willingness to do it all again? Don't you remember your last relationships? You thought you were ready for something when you weren't and lost them all. You really want to do that to her?" Josh had had many relationships, always claiming a desire for something real that turned into something fake and withered. When Maya told him she wanted to be with him, he was so happy... Now he wondered if he could even make right with her. It was only a few days after she said that, to make it worse._

 _Josh knew she had things she needed to do on her own but was leaving the right or wrong choice to make? He had a couple of friends in California, and he'd always wanted to see more of the beach. So he could leave, just in case there were still things the girl he loved needed to do on her own - besides, she still had her best friends._

 _It's not as if she ever came off his mind though._

* * *

Maya Hart; teenage rebel and potential superstar. She was making highlights with Riley Mathews by her side with her new singles. She hadn't expected acting though, hadn't expected the jump in her chest when someone offered a minor role to a movie. A Disney movie, nonetheless, and she nearly jumped Riley to keep her from calling them back immediately.

"One day you're going to see Europe. Oh no." Riley's smile of drifted, "You're going to forget me, aren't you? Doesn't matter, you'll be happy and great and I'll pray for you, Peaches. I'll never forget you," Maya chuckled at her reaction to her announcement.

It wasn't much more than another gig for a nearby city, but for the two it was a _major opportunity_. It always was. Maya just hoped it didn't end up like the last one.

* * *

 _People cheered for Maya as she got off the stage and she smiled, knowing she did that. She made this happen when she auditioned for that first gig. Of course, it was Riley who pushed her into accepting._

 _Some part of her was relieved to be getting off, though. Midway through she had been introduced as a surprise singer. There had been many interested and disappointed faces (not that she could blame them, one great band would've gone up) as she stepped nervously to the microphone. In the mix of people, she was scanning for Riley and Farkle for moral support._

 _What she found was a banished memory, a boy she had locked away in a dungeon of thoughts. His eyes met hers, and a montage of their last meeting was played within her head. The rest of the world simply fell into a dark pit for those three seconds._

 _They'd all split ways after high school, except for Riley and Farkle and Maya. Lucas had gone to a college somewhere Midwest. This boy - a man now, as he was more grown up than the rest of them - was supposed to be somewhere in California. With a job and an apartment, visiting his parents and brother a couple times a year._

 _It was understandable when she froze for a few moments, before seeing the concerned expression on the people backstage. Maya started her song as he ducked his head as quickly as she broke the eye contact between them. He disappeared before she finished._

 _"Maya? What's wrong?" Farkle asked as they closed in on her after the performance. Maya had gone instantly outside to see if she could catch him but... "Nothing." She turned to them. I must have imagined him or something..._

 _It continued for weeks, seeing his face or someone who looked like him out in the crowd. Telling herself she was going crazy and he would have come up to her if he was there._

 _"Riles?"_

 _"Yeah, Peaches?" Riley answered when they sat in her hotel room._

 _"I keep seeing Boing's face... In the crowd or somewhere near the concerts or hotels and it's freaking me out. It's been going on for a little while now," she blurted out. Maya waited for a response but Riley sat there for a few minutes, taken by surprise._

 _"I can work with this."_

* * *

Maya was right in the middle of singing, one of her newest songs. That's when she saw a head of brown hair amidst the overcrowded room, and a smile plastered to the skin it was. The eyes were looking right at her, the same blue eyes that stole her breath. I'm not crazy... He actually came. He looked at her with a smile on his lips, adoration settling in his eyes.

Maya knew she wasn't supposed to walk off the stage, but she did it with a microphone in hand, never taking her gaze away from his. He seemed to panic a little at her coming down, the way her eyes overtook his own. Maya was already feet away by the time it even registered in his head what she was doing. The song finally ended, and instead of announcing her next one and singing again, Maya covered her mic and leaned into Josh. She could feel him hold her gently, almost so she didn't notice, but whispered, "Find me after this to explain." She suspected some heard her or noticed the blush on his cheeks because there was a chorus of _ooh's_.

She did exactly what she was supposed to do after that; walk on stage, continue her performance, and go to her room for a couple minutes breathing time. Only now she wasn't alone (Riley was helping Farkle with something).

"Maya..." Her head lifted from the sunken way it had been, trying to fix a button she found ripped on her jacket. The blue sea had once again found her.

"Josh Mathews," it took her a moment to find a lion's stance.

He looked guilty for something, his lips parted in a clustered thought process, eyes dripping with it. He was still handsome as ever, more so than when he left for Cali four years ago. "I am so sorry. I didn't know you were going to be at this show -"

"Yes, you did. You've been to my gigs before, right? I wasn't just seeing you?" Maya took a breath, closing the door behind her into her room. "And, why now? Why haven't you ever called, for me, for Riley? Why the sudden appearance?" She had an angered smile on her.

"I didn't think you'd want to see me. I knew you were moving on, you had music and fame. Probably a boyfriend -" Maya felt infuriated at the jealous hint in his voice at the _new_ _boyfriend_. Maya hadn't been the one who left for California in the midst of a summer relationship. He knew she was ready for anything and after saying he would be there, he left. Riley had told her a month later Josh had a found a great job, one not needed to be states away, but chosen to be like that. _Why does everyone think I'm not willing to let them grow?_

"Josh you were my once a song title. You were Shadows and you knew that. How would any of this change that?"

"I - I don't know, Maya. Maybe you moved on, maybe you were happy -"

"Oh shut up already," Maya pulled herself up to his level, wrapping her arms around him with their lips entangled. Josh took a second before holder her tighter to him, breathing in her rosy scent.

"We're not done yet," she said when she pulled away for air, her hair still playing with his hair.

 _"I am never taking his advice again," she heard him mumbled against her lips softly._


	3. Girl Meets Creativity: Again

"Hey, you home?" Josh entered Maya's apartment, stuffing the key in his back pocket. "I brought tacos...!" He stood in the living room, awaiting a sense of life.

"Studio! Don't come in if you're lying!" He grinned at her choice of words. _She wouldn't hurt him even if he was._

"So," he walked into the small room in the back, "what's the latest project?" He leaned against the frame as the blonde woman sat in her chair, glancing at him. Her blue jeans shirt was covered in paints, as was her forehead. He held the taco bag behind his back, smirking at her. Maya just straightened her back, "If you wanted to know so bad you'd give me a taco and look, Boing." He sighed, shaking his head as if to lose his amusement.

He _still_ hasn't lost the nickname. "And you know, most people knock before coming into a potentially dangerous apartment," she smiled at him.

"But I'm not most people, my ferret."

"Okay, cute nicknames later tacos now," Maya ordered. He gave her a sarcastic reply and put the Spanish bag into her hands. She squealed, she peeked at her painting; angel wings with a dark figure. "Hey!" Maya smacked him away, standing up protectively in front of her art. "It's not public yet, dude."

He scoffed, "You'll punch me to stand up for a painting but you wouldn't hurt a painting to save me."

"A painting isn't going to hurt you, Josh. And you know the rules."

"Come on, you were supposed to be ready by now anyway, Hart." Maya sighed and took the blouse off, revealing a white tank top. She slipped on another blouse, a long and clean black one with rose designs. "This good?"

Josh just shook his head and took her hand, however, he did agree to her protests to bring the tacos in the car.

"So, you say we're going to an art show, but it's not fancy," Maya said between bites while Josh drove the car down the streets. "Is it street art?"

"Maybe."

"Ooh." Another bite. "I like it." And another. _I swear to God she'll choke one day and I'll have to save her._

He pulled up at a fairly nice building, not too shiny and glamorous but not so dark it had to be illegal or underground. Maya was just stuffing the wrapper of her last taco into the bag.

They got out of the car and walked inside the doors, instantly met with cologne of all smells and paint colors of any on the color wheel. It was street art mostly, people with spray paint who were dedicated, or others who felt their product was unappreciated and good enough to get in. Maya's eyes had sparked from the first foot inside; Josh felt happy she had.

"This is even better..." He could hear her mumble under her breath, eyes scattered everywhere. Josh let her stand there a second before giving her a light shove forward.

"There someone I want you to meet. Dex told me about him." Dex, a friend of Josh's in the investment industry. She had a lot of ties with a lot of nobody's and everybody's.

She looked at him in slight confusion, but her blue eyes went back to the room. A tall man, dark hair with light eyeliner rimming his eyes started staring at the same piece she was. The canvas had watercolors closed everywhere, leaving no spot white. Blues and greens, along with some purple and yellow made shapes and sizes that made something in Maya speak out.

By the twitch of her hand, he knew she wanted to feel each stroke. "It's lovely, isn't it?"

They looked at the man next to them, and Maya asked first. "You did this? It's beautiful." The emphasis was ear in her voice.

The man's eyebrows shot up, "Oh, no no. I just now represent who did. And I'm interested in you." He stuck his arm out, "Logan. From Trix Bix creative industries. A record deal for all sort of creative people, you could say."

"Trix Bix?" Josh accidentally blurted, however the mystery of who the man was cleared up.

"I let my daughter choose a name." Logan chuckled. "Your Josh, right? This is the talented Maya Hart?"

"Yes." Maya was still in awe, but now she looked at her boyfriend in wonder. Josh just shrugged, _out_ _of_ _words_. "And why would you be looking for me?"

"I want to represent you. I've seen your work, and I think you're the real deal. Here," he pulled a card from his suit pocket. "I'll leave you to your evening." He walked away with a nod, and Maya turned to Josh.

"Is _that_ who Dex told you about? Because he's a legend. A legend I have to turn down, by the way."

"What? What do you mean?"

Maya took his hands, still in slight shock by her shaky movements. "I was going to tell you tonight at the apartment, but I guess here is good."

"What?" Josh felt a twinge of worry down his spine, imagining the worst and irrational, honestly.

"I was already offered a _record_ _deal_. From Taylor Winter. I'm accepting."

He blinked. "Are you saying I got Dex to bring this guy here for nothing?"

"Huh? You did this? What? How? _How many people does she know..._?" The last part was more to herself.

"Yep. And now this means you owe me a taco. Also," Josh kissed her, "I am so proud of you." Maya smiled, pressing her lips back to his.

"You are the sweetest guy I know."

"I'd hope," she rolled her eyes. "No flirting with anyone but Boing, Ferret.

"This is why I call you Boing because you just keep it going." She laughed, her arms wrapping around his shoulders.

"And I am totally OK with it," he shrugged, kissing her forehead. "But seriously, taco. I gave you _two_ and you owe me _one_."

Maya hit him playfully on his chest, making his smile at her already giddy behavior. "Shut up, I'll get you the taco, Boing. I love you," she added as if an afterthought outburst.

"Love you too, Ferret." He hugged her closer.


	4. Closed Confessions

"Maya?" Riley's voice made the blonde look up, eyes glossy and overwhelmed. Riley instantly knew what was wrong and sat by her side in the bay window of her bedroom.

"He's leaving now," she sniffled, "Josh is leaving after all his promises. I - I knew we weren't going to just date and be happy and move in with our lives but…" Maya broke off in a sob, lowering her head. "I didn't think it would hurt… And after I heard that that girl was going with him. He told me it was best to see other people."

"It isn't our time right now, Maya… Please understand."

"I know, Peaches. At least he isn't the only guy in the world, I mean, Lucas still hasn't chosen over us." The Mathews girl tried to comfort, putting her arm over Maya's shoulder and rubbing gently.

"I don't want Lucas, Riley, I never wanted him. The only reason he ever thought that was because Farkle wanted to see if he liked me. I like Josh, I want Josh, I need Josh. It's always been him…"

Riley hugged her close as she sniffled once more, "Remember what he said? Long game, not now game. Maybe you guys will see each other someday and run into your arms movie style." Riley imagined it in her head, seeing her uncle hold onto her chosen sister. It was lovely, but was it to be true?

"Yeah… But we saw how she dug her claws into him, Riles. If and when she gets Josh for herself," Maya looked down as she broke the hug. "I don't think I'll get him back." Riley blinked, trying to understand that deep fear that ran to the girl's core.

* * *

 _"I don't think I'll get him back."_

Josh heard that very sentence come from his niece's room. Why she never bothered to close her door when he was around was a wonder to him. (Is it perhaps because Riley knows more about what they never truly say to each other, leaving the doors open for them to hear the lovely words for themselves - or merely forgetting, when she never has before?)

Josh wanted to go in there, assure Maya she wasn't to lose him. Hold her in his arms and wipe her tears for her, tell the beauty there was room for no one else in his heart. The girl going with him was just a friend, never to be anything more but how could he contradict his own words? _"You live your life, I'll live mine…"_

He would never live it down, that's for sure. Besides, this was for the better, right? Let Maya live her life and make her own decisions, choose what she wants and do what she needs before jumping in a relationship. Oh, how it hurt though. Especially after what he just told Topanga.

 _"You okay?" His brother's wife asked him, moving onto the roof where he looked down on the city._

 _Josh shook his head, trying to get over an ache in his chest, the guilty on his shoulders and the regret in his stomach. It was as if he'd caught a horrible fever just being up there, just telling the girl he loved more deeply than he even knew they had to separate._

 _"Nope… This is good, right? I'm doing the right thing?"_

 _She shrugged, "I don't know. I think so. I can't make those decisions for you, Josh."_

 _The said boy - however a man, by now - turned to face her, frowning. He was trying to be optimistic, he was, but God was it hard. "It doesn't feel like it. It feels like just seeing her after what I just did is ripping a hole in me."_

 _"Give it some time. You like her, you really do, and she likes you back. But you have school - in a different city - and you both have lives to live. Maybe you'll come back someday, and find you still have feelings for each other. Or maybe time apart will evaporate them and you won't have to worry. Go to school, like you are, and come back later. No today, not this week but whenever you feel you need to."_

 _Josh hugged his Sister-in-law, thankful for her speech. "Thank you…" Josh knew that she had initially come up to tell him it was time to go, probably, and he needed to. "See you soon, hopefully. Tell Riley," he moved away, "that I left her some gummy bears." He smiled fondly._

 _Time to rip both our hearts out_ , he thought, _and maybe put them together._


	5. Orphan No Longer

_**A/N: I literally just posted those in one night and there were already reviews and follows and favs and omg just thank you, you sweet precious beans.**_

 _Prompt: Moments in which Joshua Matthews knew the young yet infamous spy who saved him._

* * *

"Oh, I am so sorry," Joshua Matthews apologized to the blonde he just bumped into.

"Oh, it's nothing," she held onto her coffee, looking up to him. She sucked breath between her teeth upon seeing him; the blonde recognized him immediately. _He's supposed to be in New York..._

Josh looked at her, "Hey. Do I know you? You look familiar..." He trailed off on purpose.

Maya shook her head, "Nope. I'm not from here so... I have to go," she walked off without saying goodbye. She sincerely hoped he wouldn't be a part of the bomb in the park, the one she has a small window to stop.

* * *

"Maya." Her feet stopped in their tracks, her face paling. She turned slowly, looking at him like a deer in headlights. "No one calls me that anymore."

Josh frowned at her, even in the dark he could see the pain in her eyes. "Not after Riley..."

"She died. A year ago. You weren't there," she felt accusation in his tone, knew it well from how many times she threw it at herself. The truth was Maya actually was there; from when Riley was diagnosed to when she died in the middle of the night. No one knew, however, because she had to leave in the morning for her base. Maya had thought of leaving a note, but it was too painful for her. She'd lost her family then, but she would rather be _Haylee_ than _Maya_ without _Riley_. "That's what I thought before I saw your paper. For a spy, you should know to burn paper instead of trash it." He smiled sadly at her.

* * *

"When can I leave?" Josh had screamed at any and every person that walked past him for days, locked in a cell.

"You can't." Maya finally answered. She was frustrated and irritated, and he knew it. There was a pity in her eyes when she abruptly stood to face him, "You can't. You know too much about the base - _the secret bas_ _e_ \- so they aren't going to let you go. It's a risk - a big one."

He gaped at her - and not just because this was the first time in a week she talked to him. "What are they going to do?"

Maya took a deep breath, carefully picking her words. "They... You have three options. One, they'll kill you. Two, they'll recruit you. And three, you escape, a very improbable thing and there's about a ninety percent they'll you and execute you on spot."

"If you're one of them, why are you telling me this?"

"I was a Matthews too, Josh. I don't want you to die," the words hidden deep in her statement didn't go unnoticed. _I still love you._ Everything only grew from there. The small talk, the flirting, and the kiss he gave her when he was finally let out of his cell because he chose to stay.

* * *

Josh had just come back from his third mission. Finding a drug war child was harder than one might think, and more so when she was aware of how to fight. "Maya," he looked for her first thing, for his blonde fighter. "Maya?"

"I was outside," her voice came from behind him in the door of their room. She wasted no time in putting her arms around him, making her feelings for him known without words. _I missed you. I was worried about you. I love you._ They never seemed to need words to say what was obvious, and they rarely did. Josh hugged back, his head resting on hers.

 _I love you too._

* * *

The last day, only the day after they spent the night together, it was all over. Josh heard the way she stomped inside. "Josh! Josh!" She was panicked when he rose from his bed, hoping to alleviate what was probably another nightmare.

"What is it?"

"We're leaving. Tonight, now, pack your things."

His mind was still groggy, tired and half asleep, while hers seemed more awake than the day. "What do you mean?"

Maya looked around, anywhere but his eyes, "I've been given my final orders. To go home and take you with me." So they left. Josh never learned exactly what happened, why those were her last orders and why, but he was fine not knowing. Because that year they went back to New York.

* * *

 _"Haylee, I want to talk to you."_

 _"Yes, sir?" She held back from the pile of men and women alike leaving the strategy room._

 _"You're my best soldier, my best spy. And a good friend, if I can say." She looked up at him now, a man like a brother, with worry. She'd already lost one family, she hoped not to do it again. "But this base, this organization is of orphans. It's what makes them they're best; no one to leave behind means no hesitation. From the second you brought that man here you were no longer an orphan."_

 _"Sir," she was going to protest, but he cut her off._

 _"Don't you 'Sir' me, Haylee. And don't think that I believe that's your name, either. What is it?"_

 _She sighed, "Maya Hart."_

 _He pulled out a flask, handing it to her. Maya took a slug, before passing it back. "You're no longer an orphan, and as much as I'm going to miss my friend your going back home. No -" he stopped her before she could start, "arguments. If I find you here in the morning I'll take you back to wherever you came from myself. You take that Josh man with you too. He's not a very good soldier," Maya chuckled at his confession._

 _"No, he's never been." Maya took another drink from the flask before nodding to her "brother" and leaving to find Josh. He nodded back, giving her the only goodbye she'll need:_ We'll see each other again someday, I'll bet it.


	6. Furry Friends

_Prompt: Fantasy AU - Josh's stray dog may have something more to it than originally thought._

* * *

Joshua Matthews walked into his apartment, sighing from a little nap day of work. He had a part-time job and college to handle while trying not to forget where he kept his keys. Just a few weeks ago he'd lost his and had to remake one.

He instantly heard a bark when he walked inside, surprising him. He didn't have a dog.

The golden retriever wagged it's tail at his arrival as if waiting for him. He took hesitant steps towards it, looking around for any humans. "Hello?" He called. No answer, except another bark from the dog. "Where did you come from?" Josh knelt down, checking for a non-existent collar.

The dog turned it's head and strutted into his bedroom. Josh groaned when he noticed the open window. "Yep. That's me," he ran a hand through his hair.

"Alright," Josh closed it before calling the dog after him. It followed to the door but whined he insisted on taking it outside. Laying its head on its paws, he knew it had no intention of moving.

Josh sighed again, "Fine. But stay off the furniture." It lifted its head.

The next morning Josh had awoken to a scrapping noise outside his window. When he turned to look, it was again open. He was completely confused as no one had been there to touch since the day before.

Where the dog had fallen asleep next to his bed, now was occupied by a small dirt spot. "Huh." He got up, checking the rest of his residence. Josh had been right: the dog was gone. Looking at the time he realized he had to get to work. His clock must not have been working again.

He'd gotten home just like the day before, and was greeted as the day before. Josh gave the animal - a girl he came to see - a bath, and tried out names. When listing a name, she would make a noise he saw as a no. Josh had given up, "Maybe I'll just call you Golden. You got the locks."

She made the disagreement sound and ran over to a picture of his family plus some. It had been taken at Family Game Night at his brother's. Topanga, Cory, and Riley had been on the left. Riley's best friend Maya had given Josh and Riley the bunny ears in the back, making her best silly face. He chuckled at the memory from a few months ago, just somehow landing on Maya's nineteenth birthday.

"Riley?" No. "Topanga?" Nope. "Maya then?" She sat down, tail still wagging. "Okay, Maya." He started petting her, getting right behind the ears. "You're a good girl, Maya. Stubborn but good," reminding him of someone else he knew.

A few months later and he had gotten used to having Maya around. She left on her own volition whenever she please, but she always came back before four days.

Josh was happy with his companion around the house; he'd even let her start napping on the bed as long as she didn't smother him. However, it did change when he went to get her some food from the kitchen. What he returned to wasn't at all what he expected.

"Maya?" Josh shouted, shocked and stunned.

"Wat?" The blonde head lifted tiredly from his white covers until her eyes widened. "Oh, crap."

He stood there, holding a bag of treats: speechless.

Maya Hart got up from the bed and brushed the hair from her face. "Um. You weren't supposed to know I was a dog. I'm suddenly very glad I fell asleep after getting dressed. Stupid powers," she muttered.

"Okay. Well - Keep it to yourself for now, and I'll explain later." She started to creep around him towards the door. "And by the way, sorry I stole your taco last week." Josh watched her walked just barely get out the door before he ran to check on her. Instead of the bright, blonde haired and beautiful human, he saw a golden retriever walk down the hallway of his building.

* * *

 ** _This was something I just dribbled down one day, so excuse the time jump and lack of detail._**


	7. Love-ly Tales

_Prompt: It's Josh's birthday, and Maya has a surprise question._ _ **(Thanks for all the great reveiws, so here's some random fluff)**_

* * *

Blonde curls took over his house as Maya Hart came in whenever she wanted. She was there all the time anyway, so it was no surprise. Today, unlike every other day, took a slightly different turn because it was his birthday.

"Joshua Matthews! Get up or I'm throwing pillows!" She called, just walking into his home.

She was his personal alarm. "Did you let me sleep in?"

"No," she answered flatly, when has she ever let him sleep in?

"Isn't sleeping in birthday treatment?"

"Not if you never celebrate your birthday, Boing." Josh had a problem with birthdays: if it was his it didn't matter. "Now get up...!"

"Alright, alright. What's got you in a mood?" She didn't usually scream this loud.

"It's your birthday, and you're stuck doing something."

Josh groaned at her ferocious smile.

Josh discovered Maya had brought pizza - and who isn't more motivated to get up when there's pizza on the table? "Eat up, because you're not getting cake," she chuckled.

* * *

"What are you forcing me to do?" Josh turned to her while the pizza stayed neglected for a minute longer.

Maya only smiled the way she smiled when she had a plan; the angelic glow with the devil's temptation. "Oh, boy," he muttered, sitting down to finally eat. Of course, she'd rather have tacos, but the pizza was the second favorite of food, so she joined him.

* * *

"This actually has nothing to do with your birthday," Maya informed him when they walked into an apartment building. It wasn't hers (they lived at each other's places while still their own, practically) and he gave her a questioning look.

"What does it have to do with then?"

"Um..." She skipped his question and instead went inside to look around.

"Maya..." Josh trailed off purposely, hinting at his desire for an answer.

"Josh..." Of course, she was mimicking him. Maya was excruciatingly nervous to ask what she wanted to.

"Gorgeous, I can do this all day."

She chuckled his blonde ferret and looked over at him. "No, you can't. You have a family dinner for your birthday." Josh groaned took a moment to fully read the misery she spoke off. "Ohh."

Maya laughed now, walking through the small kitchen with him behind. "That still doesn't explain this." He waved his hands around vaguely at the room.

Maya sighed her body a bundle of nerves and wires. "Josh, what we are? I love you, you know I love you. But what we are, where we're at right now isn't enough."

"Please tell me you're not breaking up with me in the place you're moving into?" Josh had gone ghostly pale and it made Maya a little guilty.

And confused. "Breaking - What? No." She spoke her last word firmly and assuringly. Josh let pink shades cover the bits of his cheeks, sighing of relief. He loved her but sometimes he couldn't predict a single thought of hers - and it had been happening more lately. "No. I wanted your personal opinion on..." Maya cleared her throat. It was scratchy and dry and she felt almost sick. "Living together?"

Josh looked at her with surprise. If he was honest the thought hadn't crossed his mind in a little while, but it would explain her hard thoughts he couldn't see through. He finally let out a little laugh, making her face fall until he pressed his lips to hers lovingly. He cupped her cheek, "Maya Hart, are you asking me to move in with you?"

"Maybe," it came out more nervous and shaky than the teasing she'd attempted.

"Well good. Because I'd love to see your wacky sleep schedule, all while not having to travel twenty minutes to see you. I'd like to make sure instead of eating all my food, you take our food. Us, together." He kissed her again, both smiling through it.

One grip on her hips told her a secret message only to be spoken between them. She thought he was going to silently tell her, but Josh spoke breathily (their kisses are too passionate for their air-breathing human bodies) to her. "I could take you here," he chuckled, "Especially since you won't stop biting your lip."

Her heart did a somersault and air lodged in her throat. She would let him, she knew. She wouldn't deny she thought it was sexy how he taunted her with words before anything even started, or how he'd tease ideas into her mind. No. No one would ever believe her, not even herself.

"Not here, that lady has been watching us like a hawk since you kissed me in the first place." She had a feeling either they looked like a lust stricken couple, or someone bumping uglies during the open apartment wasn't a new concept. "Hm, soon," she nodded and they started walking awkwardly out.


	8. Protect Me, Save Me

_Prompt: Zombies are just jerks - Inconvenient ones with their apocalypses. And it ends bittersweetly because I'm evil and like to break my heart all the time. \\(*_*)/_

 **Protect Me, Save me, Accept Me, Love Me**

* * *

 _They were in love. They were happy; they'd finally found a way to one another. Then a storm hit._

 _The clouds had taken people inside the nearest building, fearing unusually large hail and floods. Maya had Josh's laughter ignoring all the chaos outside, watching a YouTube marathon. Unable to leave the mall they sat on a bench; it was the procedure to keep everyone inside with a storm this bad. Maya didn't mind, her head in his neck and him playing with her hair. It was a way to distract themselves; Josh would only force himself to remember he couldn't defend the world from nature and Maya, well, Maya from being unable to stop him and his hero's hair._

 _She was bringing up her head, to look at him, speak to him, or kiss him they'd never know because while everyone had been gathered in the center most of the building, the alarms went off. For a moment everyone believed it was the dreaded hurricane or even a fire, but a man came in. His skin had been turned red and while it looked too dark to be anything serious everyone screamed. Josh stood immediately and tried to help the security guard but Maya pulled him back, seeing it for blood and wound that had to have caused death. This man shouldn't be alive. She was a doctor, she would know._

 _Air was caught in her breath and he looked terrified as the would-be dead man kept running, at full force. Josh being the closest, was his first target. The man's mouth came out as a rabid dog's; was he trying to bite him? Someone came over and helped pry him away, but he didn't stop. Instead, the helper was bitten and pried into, ripped apart as everyone fled._

 _He pushed Maya in front of him in way of the doors across the room, along with the crowd of people. It was hard to hear amidst screams and cries, so much the couple didn't even try speaking with their voices. Maya started to take a path away from the crowd, in hopes of less shoving he supposed, but something pushed him before he could breathe a second longer. The crowd had started taking her, pushing her and making it nearly impossible to come back, but he saw the will and desperation in her. He fought whatever creature was on him and tried not to harm him, but it came down to him taking something long from the grounds near him - he didn't see what - and bashing its head in. "Josh!" Maya's screams caught his ear and he ran for her, but more of them seemed to come and he had to run down the path Maya had wanted to go._

 _It was empty. No crowds, no monsters, but most frightening:_ No Maya _._

 _Her scream had rung in his head until it became maddening, and all through the building he went looking, empty hearted he had to leave. The monsters had eaten up half the mall when he finally found the doors. He searched the bodies, and while he didn't find any that looked like her, he had come upon a necklace. It'd been in the middle of nothing and all of them; it's wolf pendant nearly torn off. Josh knew at the sight of it, the gift he'd given to her, the same one she never left anywhere without and once almost had a panic attack when she thought she lost it, she was gone._

* * *

A year later Josh had watched the world fall to its knees. He'd learned to call the monsters what they were; the mythical, and sci-fi creation of Zombies. He'd changed too, along with the world. He'd fallen prey to pain and an emptiness. His family hadn't survived the first day, and he'd even burned the place they lived. Josh had given up on the notion of looking for Maya, but he held her necklace wrapped around his hand and never left it anywhere else. There was hardly anyone to help, given most of the humanity was either dead or walking around with blood all over them and torn skin. Even the animals were contaminated. Josh had also noticed, he had a tendency to get himself into fights and sightings of the horrendous things.

At the moment he was dodging the teeth of a dead old man. Seniors were stronger than many thought, especially dead. And one turned into two, and then three, five, ten. Josh knew he was long dead if he stayed around, but one had gotten to him and pushed him down. He heard his heart beating in his chest, and it drowned out the noises of guns flaring and arrows being shot.

"Get your ass up, I'm trying to help you," a ferocious voice that was so familiar snapped at him from behind. He watched blonde curls fall in front of his face as her arms curled around him, pulling him into through the door. She ran past him into a tunnel, seemingly unfazed by the sewer water that is was. He couldn't help but notice the way she moved; sure of herself but with nothing to lose. They ran until the noises of knocking on the door was gone, even it's echo forgotten. The blonde had taken him up some ladder and into a boot camp. It was the definition of the underground or laying low; hidden.

"Jamie," she had moved to hand a long haired man her gun. He did what he did with it and she kept her bow close, cleaning a spike in her hand. "I brought a stray."

He looked around as she started to turn. Everything stopped, even the words slipping from Jamie's mouth was muted. "Maya? Maya?" A woman came into the room, barely giving Josh a glance. _Maya_. He wanted to laugh at what a cruel joke it was. The _irony_. He lost her being tackled, only to find another version of her being tackled.

He didn't let a word escape him before she gripped his hand and dragged him somewhere. It was another room, smaller and away from the others. Her eyes scanned him and landed on his hand. The necklace was dangling almost out of his grip.

"You grew your hair out." He wanted to laugh at what she said, the only thing she said upon seeing who he was, upon having a moment to talk to him. "I finally got to help you. I wanted to, I wanted to in the mall, and now," she was coming towards him with tears falling down her cheeks. There was a sad smile on her lips, as she crushed him underneath her arms. Josh didn't exactly want to let her go, either. He held her like his life depended on it because his heart did. He'd been surviving just for the heck of it but seeing her... She didn't even look that different. Her hair still flowed over her shoulders the same way and he knew her rebellious attitude had stayed intact. _Ferret, Boing, Gorgeous, Lover, My Love,_ whatever nickname he wanted he could call her and she could do the same. Josh let the tears roll onto his shirt and let his own roll onto her head. "Next time just freaking follow me, okay? Okay?" He nodded with her frantic mumblings, knowing there was no way if Hell came to Earth next that he was letting her go again. He was going to keep her around like the world and the stars and planets were on his shoulders and she was all of them alone.

* * *

 _Maya was pulled with the giant, infuriating crowd and panicking people. She could see him struggling, but before she knew it she had fallen down. More had come from the front and attacked people ahead of her, causing her to be pushed down and hurt her leg. "No!" She cried. How was she supposed to have any hope of defending herself of helping Josh if she was injured? If she'd been allowed time to think, she might've muttered: "Worst apocalypse ever."_

 _"Hey!" A woman, holding something sharp, with someone by her side, came to help Maya. Pulling her up, they realized her ankle was sprained and she was not going to able to walk. Maya was half worried they'd leave her and half trying to scream about helping Josh. She couldn't leave him, she thought frantically, I can't!_

 _It was too bad though because she could only let out a cry of pain and they wouldn't hear anymore. "Set the fire, Jamie," the woman's voice said firmly to the man. He nodded, and Maya could only protest and insist on helping Josh. "Sorry honey, but we didn't see anyone behind you that was alive." Maya felt her breathing stop, and part of her die. Her hand went up to grasp the necklace he'd given to her, but it was gone. Maya felt tears prickle at the edges of her eyes._

* * *

 ** _Catch the Vampire Diaries reference ;)_**


	9. Rough Patches

**_Prompt: They tried dating, the best friends Josh and Maya, but it didn't work. Still, they didn't let it come between them._**

* * *

"Just admit it, Maya. You are a sore loser," Josh teased her over a game of checkers.

She scoffed, "You jinxed me." They were incredibly close, those two. Especially right now, just mere inches from touching. Josh seemed to notice first and letting the moment take him away, leaned closer. Maya smiled and closed the gap between them. She had never been a patient girl, and she had waited a long time to know if he was ever going to kiss her. Which quote was it that said best friends are the best love? That a boy and a girl can be friends, but eventually will fall in love (no matter what way)?

* * *

 _But sometimes, things don't work the way you think they will, or want them to._

* * *

I can't-do this anymore, Josh. I know you know because it hasn't been the same."

Josh Mathews heard his girlfriends voice, though they seemed more distant than they should. For a month now, out of the three, they'd been dating, it hadn't been as it was before. Before they got together, they were all secret messages and flirting and passion in everything no matter how simple. When they started dating, they couldn't help but pick out flaws in each other and how they kept count of who did what. They weren't... Together.

 _"I know."_ Maya sighed softly and sat down next to him, where they broke up for the first time.

* * *

 _It didn't matter though because they would always see each other around the city or at events. Josh had come to art galleries, Rileysspected, for the sheer intent of seeing the blonde. Maya was very happy she had even the glance of him, her longtime best friend beside Riley. She loved him, even if it didn't work out between them._

* * *

 _"_ Josh." Maya's voice made him look up from his phone at the table in New York. The younger blonde held two coffees and determined expression. He couldn't deny it didn't feel a little awkward, seeing her there, after going to the gallery show just to congratulate her - not very subtly, either. Plus, they had dated. "Here," she brought him out of his thoughts by putting one of the drinks down and taking a sip of the other. He looked at it; it was his favorite. He suppressed a smile at her memory.

"Hey, May." She rolled her eyes at the familiar name. He rarely used it, but it was one of their secret names. (Much like the notes and texts they'd made and shrugged as nothing, even when casual things behind Somethingethign so simple was just... So intimate.)

"Okay, Boing," she smirked, causing him to chortle. "We need to talk," all humor left her voice at the simple - Statement? It felt more like a command, but it never bothered him as she was direct ti was relieving. "We were best friends. Me and Riley, you and Riley, me and you. So we dated, it didn't work out - Are you avoiding me? Is there some reason you think we can't work past this? I don't want us to be awkward or strangers, Josh." Josh, equals business.

"I couldn't agree more. I guess... I just wasn't sure how. How did you feel about me being around, would it be easy when you got others?" Making it hard would include you were jealous, which you can't possibly be, Maya thought. She kept it out of her composure though.

"Friends? Again...?" She wiggled her brows in way of adding a lightheartedness, but it weighed heavy on both of them. He took a drink of his coffee before proceeding to tell her about his newest endeavors, and her to him.

* * *

 _Even when everything in life tested their friendship, they stayed together best they could. As adults and best friends, it was their duty and pleasure._

* * *

Riley, Maya's best friend, and Josh's niece smiled at the blonde. "I guess you and Josh are okay? I'm going, to be honest, Peaches, I didn't think you two would be able to be friends. How many dead relationships do that?" Maya had just gotten in a relationship, a fling really, and Josh was as sincere as could be when congratulating her. Maya smiled at her friend.

"I'm just happy we can be. Josh is really mature, he's a great guy. I can't imagine living without him near."

* * *

 _Of course, they were adults. Josh had told Maya several times she was more mature than she gave herself credit, even. As hidden as their secret talks and names, they hadn't even seen how they still affected each other._

* * *

"Listen, Maya... You're great." Uh-oh, Maya thought. The third break-up - if you could call them that - in the last two months. "But I just don't think that I'm what - or who - you're looking for." He eyed her. She wasn't surprised, all this time she had been half-expecting. He was biting his tongue on something she noticed but didn't push it. "We want different things. I guess what I'm trying to say is - "

"You're breaking up with me. It's okay, I get it. It's alright, Tony." She smiled at him, "It's totally understandable and alright. I have to go, but good luck."

* * *

 _These breakups happened a lot with them, they seemed to be having trouble in their love lives. They never affected Maya too much, she was never truly heartbroken, but Josh seemed to be gaining stress. They would talk to each other, comfort each other. It was normal, once again, and their shameless teasing continued. Josh had even admitted once that a breakup of his happened because of her - the girl seemed to believe they still hadn't buried the hatchet. Maya started to see that was what caused him stress - Did he really think he could feel for her again? Maya, in all honesty, had the same doubts when she was alone, or near him at all. Before she could think too hard about them, however, she moved onto something else._

* * *

"Good!" Josh exclaimed when hearing she had been dumped. She hit him on the arm but smiled. "Ooh, what the tag this time?" _Tags_ , they'd learned to call it. The reason for breaking it off.

" _I'm not who or what you're looking for,_ " she mimicked. "I dunno. I think I'm going to take a break from all this dating crap anyway." She didn't notice how Josh looked at her, smiling sadly about something hidden in his head. She continued to stir and tare at her pop and ice.

* * *

"I, um... I want to tell you something, Maya. I still have feelings for you. Still, again... I don't know how to label it..." Josh recited himself int he mirror. He sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't even tell you at all," he looked down at the sink. "You're taking a break anyway. I mean, we already tried and... Failed. And aren't you happier this way?" Splashing some water on his face he gave up. "Whatever," he pulled the door open only to be greeted by lips on his. He was stunned, looking to see the woman in question, and returned the kiss, hearing her say he was an idiot for waiting so long in his ear.

* * *

 _Then again, what's that quote about love coming back after letting it go? That it was yours? No one ever said things can't begin again._

* * *

"Farkle!" Josh hurried to ask the groom something, "I need a favor."

"Riley already told me you were going to ask - Are you really going to ask Maya to marry you?"

Josh faltered, nervous, happy for his niece and Farkle, but scared as hell. "Yes. Wait, how did she tell you? You are aren't supposed to talk until - "

"You really think Riley wasn't going to call me? She told me over the phone," Farkle smiled adoringly when talking about his future - about an hour - wife. Josh grinned as Farkle started to help him, giving him tips on how to get through it without speaking too fast or falling over when kneeling.

"You think she'll say yes?" He glanced at Farkle, who spoke flatly and proudly.

"My wife - I already love saying that - subtly asked her if she was ready or wanted to, and Maya is sure-fire to say yes."

* * *

 _Of course, she was going to say yes._


	10. Seeking You

**So this is kind of a more mature Josh than usual in one part because I had a weird ass dialogue in my docs and I figured why not. This is basically Maya suffering through his horrible co-workers. Short? What is common knowledge of what one is writing \\_(•_•)_/**

* * *

Maya was looking at herself in the mirror, wearing the backless short dress. She looked at her figure, more importantly, her legs, as the black glitter dress was short, doubtfully. "You look great, Maya," the familiar and deep voice came from behind her.

Maya cracked a smile, looking at him through the mirror's reflection, "That's what you're supposed to say. I should've gone to the store and gotten something a little," she sighed frustratingly as she tugged down the dress, but it wouldn't budge. "Longer," she blew out more air.

Josh walked over with his tie hanging around his neck _**(okay, but imagine him like that omfg)**_ and kissed her neck. "You look beautiful as always, and I don't _have_ to say that."

She rolled her eyes, still insecure. She continued to stare hopelessly at herself, ignoring the soft kiss he left on her shoulder. Seeing she was having no change in heart, Josh moved in front of her, blocking the mirror view. He looked at her sincerely, and despite his tender voice, his words sent shivers down her spine. The good kind.

"You are gorgeous, Maya. And if anyone stares at your legs it's because they can't decide which way they would rather fuck you." He leaned closer and spoke slowly into her ear. "But don't worry, I'm the only one who can do that."

She glared at him when he pulled away, and he chuckled at his effect, continuing his tie.

They'd entered the office party with linked arms - Well truthfully it was Maya clinging to him. She was still undeniably nervous and insecure, and she had never been best at big and meaningful parties.

After ten minutes they had separated, Josh being sucked in by the finger foods and Mrs. Filch's neverending talk about how rude it was not to finish a conversation and Maya by the presidents of his Law Firm who liked her - a bit too much. Josh would sometimes growl and curse about how they seemed to be more interested in her than anyone they actually knew, anyone who wouldn't allow themselves to be looked at (Maya always tried to wear extra clothes, too) if it meant Josh wouldn't be downgraded.

Let's be clear; Josh loved his job, not his employers, and Maya loved him, and his employers were assholes that were to be replaced someday.

"Of course, a young and pretty woman like you would understand how hard it is to be respected in such a business world." Mr. Fill was absolutely the worse, because not only did he like to look, he was also the most sexist and narcissistic man she'd ever met.

She looked around as she tossed the old man a weak smile, both irritated - Maya couldn't decide if slapping him was worth it - and exhausted. It was almost comical, how she met Josh's eyes almost instantly. He was about five people, all grouping, and looked as miserable as she felt.

 _Help me_ , he mouthed to her. She mouthed back, _Come here_ , looking needy. He tried, too, because he got past half the boundaries until another person stepped in front of him. She ground her teeth.

"He loves you," someone chuckled in her ear. She looked over to see a handsome looking fellow, and he raised his brows at her startled look.

"I love him," she looked back her dark-haired fiance.

"I know, you two are the talk of the firm. _Josh, and his extremely hot wife-to-be_." He mimicked someone from his work.

Maya rolled her eyes, "Is there any actual work you people do or is it just Josh?"

"Ah, don't worry. Once you two get hitched they'll eventually get over it. They just like to dream. Personally, my girlfriend's hotter than you."

Maya smirked, "Good motto."

"Unlike you two, however, we aren't so different in personality. You two are like a fire, your either gonna burn the world down or give it light." He moved away, to some other group of talkers and left her pondering. Maya couldn't decide now if she liked stranger's conversations or if they were more confusing than interesting.

She brightened immediately as Josh started to walk away from his lurkers, rather suddenly based on their faces, and kissed her. He mumbled in her ear and made her laugh, "My sanity and patience will die here."

Seeing Mr. and Mrs. Fill watching them like birds, she focused on Josh. _Only Josh_. Maya brought his lips down to hers and drowned in them, needing something wonderful and sweet to lift her spirits. His eyes lightened her heart, however, when she muttered a _Same_ and smiled with him.


	11. Meet Josh The Merman

**_Prompt: Kind of based off of Siren's Lament on Webtoon (It's pure gold) but Josh is Ian and Maya and Lyra. There's no Shon/Lucas but loneliness and SURPRISE (not really) Joshaya beats anything and_ _everything with a little twist of events_ _. (It's short, I'm sorry, my lovelies.)_**

* * *

she could hear the music, behind her still the Wedding of a friend's. Maya couldn't bear it, however, even if she tried not to bring everyone else down. She was so alone; She had friends, and a family (Or two, technically) but there was no one who loved her enough to take her on dates or give her cheeky jokes and nighttime cuddles. She had no one for that. Then again, that's her fault as well.

 _He could see her blonde curls framing her face, a beautiful face. Josh felt a pang in his heart at seeing a blue glow around her chest and couldn't help b_ _ut wonder, Was it a human or the casual lack of? it didn't matter he told himself. This could help her - forgetting the pain, and she would find someone else to pass the curse onto. He needed an out, after years and years of being... What he was, a mythical Siren, he needed to feel something warm around his heart other than the harsh cold of the sea._

 _Instead of kissing him from loving Lucas, she kisses him because she wants someone:_

Maya felt something wet start spilling from her cheeks to her dismay. She could feel her resolve to start to crumble. "Screw it," she muttered annoyingly. Maybe she would miss out the rest of the wedding, though there wasn't much left, she would have an excuse to leave. Maya, figuring the water would do her good and she could simply play it off - jumped into the water over the bridge she stood at. Later, she would wonder who the hell would think is a good idea. There are much simpler solutions. Fake diarrhea or something - not jump off a bridge into the water.

She felt the sting on her skin when she hit the water, but it quickly faded. There was a humming she heard, and for some forsaken reason Maya opened her eyes, to see a man not much older than her in front of her eyes. At once, their lips collided. His song, she realized, was still playing in her head through it, but it drowned out eventually as the need for air became unbearable. Maya felt something - cold, head-hurting and dark - pulling at her as his hands held her cheek. Maya slammed against him, surprising him and started for the surface.

They climbed onto the dock as soon as she broke the kiss, the water filling her lungs. She wiped salt away from her eyes fast enough to see what was making the mysterious man gasp; A floppy, soggy, blueprinted fish tail was transforming in scale lines, to human legs. She looked up at him, terrified, and mystified. The way her heart was beating, she could feel it almost bursting out of her chest, but she walked so calmly as she stood up. Yes, Maya knew she was most definitely in shock.

* * *

Maya had taken the man - or was he a fish? - to her coffee shop, to change clothes and demand the story. Halfway there, she had decided she didn't care about the story. She had studied Greek mythology, and it was only horrendous tales. Sirens? The same, monstrous creatures as the history and most Gods themselves.

"Well... Do you want coffee? I feel like coffee," Maya was already standing up. She went over and grabbed two cups, pouring one black. "What do you like?"

"Decaf," he replied.

She nodded and made his before returning, her giving him a wary smile at his thanks and sipping - Chugging. When she finally set it down, he wasn't sure what to think. Was she going to choke?

"Doesn't that burn?"

"Yep," she said scratchily. "Exactly what I need since I was just nearly drowned and missed my friend's wedding because some mermaid -"

"Siren," he corrected.

"- Siren wanted to become human and erase all my memories and turn me into one." She looked at him blankly. "I should slap you. But I know the feel of loneliness creeping into your skin like a knife softly away at your skin. Besides, I wasn't turned and you're human. No harm, no foul."

Josh watched her, pityingly and understanding. "So no one broke your heart?"

"Just my own actions, my own scared impulses to tell everyone to screw off." She gave him a chortle, "God, I've become so jaded."

"Try being a Siren for thirty years," she raised her brows at his statement. "Okay, okay, more like fifty. Or was it a hundred? I lose track sometimes," he tried to lighten to mood. It seemed to work, the short laugh he received.

Josh gave her a smile. That was the first of many coffees. She grew his memory day by day, and he fixed her sight of hers.


	12. Flower Crowns

**_I LOVE YOU ALL (More information about that after the one-shot I don't wanna get between you and the ship). Prompt: 90's AU (tell me if I screwed up lol I wish I was a nineties child) They're grunge-ish and hippie-ish I guess? I dunno. I'm terribly sorry if it's a little short._**

* * *

He watched the way her loose black dress twirled around her body as she spun, the stars abiding the nearly dark sky. Her hands were held over her head, the golden locks straight and framing her face underneath the flower crown. Nirvana played in the background, the lyrics _I'm so ugly, but that's okay 'cause so are you_ fading into the background. Josh grew enthralled with her, the sapphires in her eyes coming to meet his catching him off-guard occasionally. He didn't usually sit with them, but one of his friends had started meeting up with his girl.

Josh loved the time it was, the time to be freely grunge and wild and reckless - The 90's. TV's will ruin the country, he figured and opted to be out of it. It was a pitiful feeling he got when he remembered it was going to end soon, probably, but there was no time to dwell on that with her moving towards him. She was just in front of him, the wonderful woman when someone called out. "Maya! The deep voice didn't stop her from smiling like the Devil's angel and leaning down onto him, a sedate kiss pressed to his lips. _Cherry_ , he thought in the haze of surprise and pleasure, _She tastes like cherry._

Josh refused not to see her, despite the knowing smile on her lips at the sight of him and the way she acted as if nothing had happened. It was endlessly and startingly reckless how she teased his mind, thoughts of her peeking into his subconscious. He'd talked to her a few times after that, heard her talk many, and seen her act more often.

It had been a particularly dark day when she had marched up to him, pointing and firm. "You!" There was no ACDC in the background, no dances or songs to sing, no cheers or smiling faces. "Did you punch Daniel? Did you do it?" He couldn't decide if she was angry or not, her voice nothing but demanding. He could have laughed, her small frame when compared to his; But she honestly scared him like this, so fierce. He stuttered a little bit and had to ignore the sneers from around, but one sharp glance from Maya and they stopped. "Uh, n-no-no-why?" He didn't know who Daniel _was_ , let alone punch him. Was he the temperamental boy always storming from and to the group around them?

Releasing a sigh and looking both relieved and disappointed, Maya sat next to him on the bench. "Bummer. I wish someone would knock him back on his rocker, but I guess he would've come back and put you on a spike." He watched her, confused.

Leaning back, she smiled at him. "Sorry for causing a scene, but my brother likes to complain to me about bullshit. You know my name already?" Josh nodded. "Good. You're going to need it. There's this concert I'm going to - Nirvana, you know them, right?"

Josh snorted, "Duh."

Maya gave him a laugh, eyes sparkling. "How about instead of watching me you come with me? I mean, how long can a guy go before he's tired of dreaming? I'll see you here, next weekend, then?"

"You don't even know my name," Josh smirked at her, this mysterious girl. "It's -"

"Josh. Matthews." She breathed in slightly, but as a guy who'd been so into her on so little, he caught it. "I know. So, ten? And that's at night after your curfew, pretty boy. I know you like to follow the rules." Maya grinned at him when he nodded, before spinning off to her friends.

* * *

"That was amazing! Curt Kobain is amazing!" Maya gushed as they walked down the alleyway, pulling him forward. She walked backward and held onto his hands, "Hey! You should find your -" she looked him up and down, "Actually I'm coming over to wherever you hang. There's a place I hang and you can't look like a boy scout to get in." Maya was determined to know Josh better than anyone he knew - her actual words - implied she would be involved in half of his hours. Josh didn't seem to want anything less because they were already inseparable.

"Really? A boy scout? Is that all I am to you emos?"

"How dare you! I am a grunge!" Maya broke out laughing, her jacker slipping just down her shoulders. "And you are a boy scout, Joshy."

"Says the girl with a stray ferret as a pet," he pulled her closer.

She scoffed, "Who wouldn't that ferret? He's adorable." Her arms gathered around his neck, and looking at him through her eyelashes after he noticed the glance at his lips, she asked him something crucial. "So am I going to have to make the first move again or you gonna do something?" She slowly inched closer to him, whispering like the mischievous woman she was. "I'm right here, so close, so in reach -"

Josh didn't let her finish her teasing, pulling her closer by her hips and taking her by surprise. His lips had caught her's and she embraced it, clutching him. Pullin back, he didn't let her think to do anything before moving against the building. He pecked kisses onto her neck from her jawline, listening to every breath she made. When he knew she was making no effort to take control of the situation he stopped, grinning at her. "Boy scouts do that to girls like you a lot, in alleys at concerts like this?"

"Probably," she breathed out. "So your gonna have to make a little more effort than that, _boy scout,_ " and so they continued. That night, the next week, even the next month and only they knew how much longer.

* * *

 ** _I LOVE YOU ALL. THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS I GOT THEM IN THE MORNING OF CLASS AND I WAS SO HAPPY AND I COUDLN'T STOP SMILING BECAUSE YOU LIKED THEM THAT MUCH. (SORry for the yelling but you make. my. day. Every time I'm hit with one of those things, it's freaking walking-on-sunshine.)_**


	13. Wolfish Hearts

**I'm so, so, so sorry I haven't been uploading regularly and I hate to make excuses but the internet was crap for a while and before that, I had writer's block. But hey, I got this and another prompt out of it so. By the way, I feel like I made a crappy ending so beware.**

* * *

"You can't!"

"But I can, and I do!" Maya Hart fired back at her almost boyfriend. _Almost._ A tragic word, making only tragic stories. Their _almost_ first kiss, their _almost_ first date and their _almost_ mutual confession of love. There as no _almost_ first time, because a "fluke" (as they would call it when hiding from the conversation, neither willing to admit their soberness) had led them to a one-time thing. (One-time, again because they were both very stubborn people.)

"You can't love me, Maya," Josh, running a hand through his brown hair and blue eyes distraught. "Okay?"

"Oh, yeah?"

"Hmhm."

"Why?" Maya pressured him, her arms crossing over her chest and eyes becoming slits of a blind.

"Uh..." His mouthed opened and hung like a fish. "I'm too dorky. Huge Star Wars fan, you know that. And you know I love Harry Potter."

"You can recite that in your sleep."

"Damn straight," Josh said almost defensively and Maya chortled. "Look, you just can't like me. Got it? Get over me," he stormed off down the college hallway.

Maya watched him leave with hurt pinching at her throat and chest. "You think it's that easy!" She wanted to be angry at him. Part of her was - what was so easy about getting over him? She told him she loved him and she can understand if he can't say it back but _get over him_? Maya had tried desperately for years to do that, to escape the person he injected into her system like acid. He was addicting in all the most healthy ways. The worst ways, in her opinion, as she seemed to almost always make a mistake in the good things. He was something she didn't want screw up, but his addiction was stronger than her insecurities. Strange it was.

 _You know what_ , she thought as soon as he turned a corner and disappeared, _that's not good enough. Either he's going to give me a good reason, or I'm going to find out myself._ She followed him. Instead of going home to her dorm or to Riley's, her best friend, she got into her tiny blue car and lightly trailed Josh to wherever he was going. He wouldn't stop checking the time earlier. Could he have a girlfriend? Was he already in love with someone? Perhaps he just didn't want Maya to get caught up in her feelings, while his affections were for another? Well, guess he was going to have to suck it up because she wanted to know and she was angry and when Maya Hart was angry she was reckless of her actions and words. _This was going to be trouble._

The curious thing, what left her muttering to herself, was that he seemed to be going farther from town. It wasn't New York City anymore, no, they had all moved back towards Philadelphia and here there were miles of trees and half of it was private to some long-distance-away family that never visited but insisted on keeping the land. Josh pulled onto a dirt road Maya had never noticed before now, furthering her anxiety and confusion. She couldn't any closer than the entrance because soon he was stopping and looking around him. "What's your secret, Boing?" Maya whispered to herself as she got out and followed him down what appeared to be a cellar.

The steps were dusty and one misstep, she would fall and make a commotion with her. That was when she heard chains, rattling against each other, continued by a soft thump. _Is he dropping his clothes? What the frak!_

She peered around the corner of the almost mossy stone and watched, after jumping back at the sight of him being in his _birthday suit_. Maya let her fingers go under her eyes and cover what she had seen but supposed he would not care for her to stare at. It was still not the most strange party of the venture, and the blonde realized that with a hurling yelp and widening eyes as his brows seemed to stretch to touch, hair growing around his body. Much more hair than a human should have, she knew that.

Her yelp caused him to look at her. Their eyes caught and Josh looked petrified. Maya couldn't move her eyes but took a dumbfounded step backward, but her ankle slipped on the step. She fell and with that fall he could see plainly all of her. But it wasn't _him,_ because before she was now an animal. Maya could almost scream - almost, it was lost in her throat. What she could do, however, was run to her car before anything else could unfold.

* * *

Only a few days later Maya was looking visibly paler, with baggs under her eyes. She'd spent the past few nights avoiding Josh and Riley, googling everything she could on werewolves and overthinking everything. _Everything._ Oh, and trying to ignore the concerned small talk from a classmate that had become noticeably more interested in her since Josh had started coming to talk to her during free period. Speaking of annoying crushes, two of them were coming up to her: Josh, in his glory and somewhat terrifyingly human form, and the boy crushing on her. Maya never meant to be rude to people, except now when she gave the rudest of signals. Giving the infatuated boy the cold shoulder, Maya pushed forward to Josh.

"You better explain everything in the dumbest of forms because I am losing my freaking mind, Josh."

"Oh, God."

"Oh, yeah, Joshua. Ya dun fucked up now."

"Well, er - " He was just as pale as her. And just as nervous, his fingers tucked into his pockets and eyes traveling unattentively to everything but her. "I'm a werewolf, um, obviously, and, uh... Do I sound crazy?" She nodded but he kept rambling. "I feel suddenly very, very crazy and kind of stupid. Who was that, by the way? I mean, you just gave him the cold shoulder and that's the worst thing you can do to someone so clearly interested in you - "

"I'm about to give you the cold shoulder! Jesus, Josh, explain! I said dumbed down." Maya fumbled with one of her books, nearly dropping it, but with the boy still so close and looking ready to pounce on the conversation, she wouldn't allow it.

"Are you afraid of me now," her eyes caught his blue orbs at the blurted question.

"Of course not. Well, I mean, not really but you need to tell me there is no reason to be afraid. Explain it to me," her words had started to slow down instead of the angrily tired strings of earlier.

But Josh didn't say anything to assure her.

"You are terrible at this."

"You should be! What if I turned before I locked the door and I scratched you or something? What if I killed you? I'm not exactly in control of this, I could hurt anyone. And if there's anyone I don't want to hurt it's you, Maya. You literally told me you loved me yesterday, just yesterday and if I hurt you before I could - " He stuttered a bit on the next few words. It was much similar to Maya when she confessed her feelings to him. "If I hurt you before I told you I loved you back do you know how much I would - I can't even speak, crap."

"Okay, I've heard enough, shut up." He looked back at her, hands still tucked but his attention was unwaveringly on her. Her only.

He knew that look. That little smile, both smug and affectionate. Josh rolled his eyes and groaned, "Maya, please, please, don't start."

"I knew it. I knew it, I knew it, and you, you little bastard, knew I was right. You love me."

"You should not be this happy about this."

"Why not?" It almost came out as a laugh.

"Because I could hurt you! Once a month, I turn into a giant dog that has to be chained up and locked up." Maya stepped closer to him, despite their already close proximity. She was calm and if anything uplifted by his statements.

"You wouldn't. Actually, you couldn't. You, Boing, are the least likely to hurt anyone that I doubt you have ever had a person you weren't nice to." Josh wanted to cut in with _Okay, that's a little dramatic, you're not the only one who can be mean. I'm not Riley._

Maya kept going. "Besides, you've finally admitted you love me. Now you can try a different way to convince me not to love you. I mean, come on, who doesn't like you being an adorable dork?"

"Can you be any more reckless? I am. A. Werewolf. Maya."

"And I don't care. Hey, now I can help you. We can learn all there is about you being a werewolf." She wouldn't stop the positivity. For one of the few moments of knowing, he wished she would be more negative, even phobic about him. He also knew another thing: She wasn't going to stop giving them reasons to be together, and he wasn't going to be able to stop her. Probably because he's an idiot in love with a reckless girl. Oh, this wasn't good at all (except it oh-so was).


	14. Blood Karma

**You're probably expecting something very different than what this is because I did too. This title is weird. Also, because imma try and be funny, DEPICTION OF BLOOD AND PAIN AND SCREAMING BECAUSE STRUGGLES. THE STRUGGLE IS REAL.**

* * *

Being a witch is hard work. You have to learn spells, castings, and control since a young age. And since your powers are tied to your emotions, being a witch on her period is Hell on Earth. Now how does balance that bloody nightmare along with magic, and a boyfriend constantly mocking the obvious pain?

"I don't get it," _No, you don't get periods, Josh_ , she thought angrily, "You bleed a little and you get really moody? Isn't that a form of Bipolar?" He was mumbling under his breath, well aware of her powers and liking for handmade karma. Or, revenge, as he called it. Maya thought it was too rash a word. As small as a statement this was, and after an argument over how men don't go through the struggles women do, it was enough to set her off.

Her eyes now slitted daggers, Maya started muttering words unfamiliar to him. This evidently worried him, his movements stopping and walking not-so-slowly to the bathroom of their apartment.

Maya giggled sadistically as she heard him call her name in a scared croak from only a few minutes later.

"Yes, sweetie?" She called back innocently, but there was nothing innocent about the situation he was about to deal with for a full five days.

* * *

 ** _Cramps_**

He yelped the next morning, repeatedly. Standing in the kitchen doorway, Josh looked afraid to move. "Maya. I can't move."

"Of course, you can, I didn't freeze you. I'm not a Halliwell." _Charmed_ was one of her favorite shows, and Maya had long envied their - even if fictional - powers and lives. Maya looked at him plainly and continued to brush her teeth.

Josh only rolled his eyes, "Yeah, well, when you're done being way too rude feel free to tell me why everything hurts. It feels like my organ is being shut and chewed on by a dog."

"Ohh," malice laughter left her throat. "Cramps. Trust me, you can move. I have some relief medicine in the bath. But," she looked down the hallway, "You'll have to get it yourself. After all, if I can handle them you should be able to too. _Don't be a wuss, Gorgeous_." Maya quoted him on something he'd once said to her, and it left him to look both flushed and flustered. _Bet you're regretting your words now, huh? Choke on them._ Oh, Maya could be the Devil and it was showing.

* * *

 _ **Bummer naps**_

"Josh! Get up!" On the second day, he seemed to be covered up in their bed. Where you could at least see Maya's blonde locks come out of the extra large and extremely warm blanket she hibernated in, Josh had no long hair to show his presence. She knew he was there by the computer playing the latest movie Maya had become emotionally obsessed with. The computer was underneath the blue bedding with him and she could see the light, as well as a soft muttering of words. "Josh?"

Ripping off some of the covering she saw him wack at her. "Hey! We're getting to the good part. She's about to confess she loves him. How come you never did that for me? Why'd I have to say it first?"

Maya scoffed. "Fix your memory, bud." Maya had been the first one to say she loved him, but he had turned out to be drunk and coming down. He didn't remember it. But he did come out to her the next morning amidst the hangover. "Get up. We're doing something instead of listening to you cry over Felicia and Helix."

"Noooo!" Maya wondered if she was this annoying when watching _Truth, Lies, And Love._

* * *

 ** _I-Hate-Everything-And-Everyone_**

"Stupid hair. Stupid gel, stupid day and stupid me."

"Oh, I already know what today's theme is." Maya groaned.

"It's not my fault nothing works! And the computers taking too long to load. Ugh, the world is testing me." Maya flopped from her back to her stomach on the couch, her face falling into the pillow. "Shut up and take a chill pill!"

* * *

 ** _Too-Affectionate_**

"Maayaa," Josh let his hand slide up and down her arm. He kissed her shoulder. "What do you plan to do today? Me, I hope."

"Ohmygod do you ever shut up! I can't be this high maintenance on my period! We're not having sex with blood running everywhere now it's ten and I'm going. To. Bed!"

"Gee. Loud enough?" Josh asked sarcastically and rolled over to sleep, pouring.

* * *

 **MWAHAHAHAHAHA. This feels like revenge on a lot of people.**

* * *

"Okay, I'm done with this. It's been more punishment for me than you." Josh slept on the couch and snoring louder than before. She shouldn't have hexed him. "This was wrong, mostly because it didn't do anything. You so needy, Josh. I'm not this needy, right?" Maya was mostly talking to herself, walking around the kitchen to make coffee. The next words she said sparked a yellow light next to Josh, like a child's firecracker, and he woke. Maya mumbled again. "You no longer have a woman's pain. Don't ever make me do that again."

"You're the one who mocked me. At least, now you understand."

"Yeah, yeah. I take it back, Ferret, don't worry. Did I cry?"

"Hmhm."

"And you rejected me."

"I don't know where it's leaking, and it's leaking anyway."

"Good point."

* * *

 **PS, you guys brighten up my days as much as the teacher letting me write this during class. AKA a lot.**


	15. Romance Novel

**_Warning: It may sound nice and fuzzy but it's kinda sad I guess? Dead pining. Plus it's really short. I'm writing a fluffy bunny after this to make up for it._**

* * *

 _"I'm writing a book."_

 _"What about?"_

 _"This girl quits waiting for the guy she loves. She's tired of sending all these small hints and hoping he'll want her too."_

 _Maya looked up at Josh, meeting his eyes. This was another small hint. He didn't seem to be taking it._

 _"Josh?"_

 _"Hmm?"_

 _"I'm done waiting for you to notice what's in front of you."_

* * *

"Hey, Josh?"

"Yeah, Gorgeous?"

"I've stopped you to stop calling me that," she frowned at him. "And I wanted to tell you first, well, second. Riley already knows, duh." Maya looked back up at him nervously, preventing a full-blown rant. "I'm leaving New York."

"What, why?" Josh squirmed to look at her better, putting down the paper he was meant to read over.

"Because, Josh. I can't stay cooped up forever. I want to travel, see what I can."

"Where will you go?"

"Everywhere I can, and I won't be telling any of you. Riley's angry with me about that, I won't take her with me," Maya looked down, fumbling with her fingers.

Josh just blinked at her, both surprised and... Speechless. The last thing Josh ever thought of was New York without Maya Hart.

* * *

"Remeber when she decided she was going to write a book?" Riley asked Josh, sitting on his couch, which happened to be the former apartment of Maya Hart, given to him when she left the state. He didn't have the heart to leave it, especially and even after they learned of her demise.

"Yeah..." Josh trailed off on purpose, not truly paying attention.

"We never even got to read it. Her mom kept it closed and in her room. I almost wish - "

"Can you stop?" He hadn't meant to be so mean, but listening to Riley drone on about Maya the way she always seemed to. "She's dead, and she did finish it. I read it, Riley, and it doesn't help."

Tears had pricked his niece's eyes and she rubbed her wrist to wipe them away. "I know she's dead, Josh! Don't be such an asshole."

"I loved her too, so listening to you talk about her like she killed herself isn't doing anyone good. You already missed your AA meeting today, and I won't hesitate to drag you to any center." Josh stood up, ignoring her glance at the stinking bottle across the room. He slammed the door behind him. He hit his back against the hallway wall. He let out a strangled sniff from the threatening cry.

"Shit," he ran a hand through his hair. It had grown out a bit with his lack of enthusiasm for cutting it. He tried to breathe, but it turned into a painful lump in his throat. "You shouldn't have left town. That stupid company... I could have given you my car, I could have taken you." Of course, they tried to sue the company for faulty breaks, as it turned out many cars had the same problem. This time, however, someone died.

Josh sunk against the wall, sitting on the backs of his shoes. There was only one place he could go.

* * *

 _"Maya?"_ _Josh called for her, walking down the hill to the field. On the outskirts of town, there was a patch no one claimed or attempted to._

 _She turned around, her golden locks allowing the sun to frame her face. Maya smiled at him, giggling. "You take too long."_

 _"Yeah, well, the turtle wins the race," he cupped her cheek and kiss her. Maya wore her favorite white sundress, her sneakers her crowned accessory to everything._

 _"What was it this time," she asked him as his arms came around her waist. They rested their foreheads on each other, Maya's arms around his neck._

 _"Same as last."_

 _"I'm sorry," Maya whispered, her head falling to rest on his chest._

 _"I'm still here," he closed his eyes, finding a peaceful place, wrapped up with the one girl._

 _"I should have noticed what was in front of me. I was too late."_

 _"Josh, you have to let it go. Let me go." He rolled his eyes. "This isn't real, and you know it. You can't keep coming back to your imagination, one day you won't remember my face and it'll be ruined for us both."_


	16. Moody Belle

_**I guilt tripped myself in to making fluff. I hope you enjoyed it and if you have any feedback let me know. Ps. How old do you think I am? Lol I'm curious oh and also the grammar is gonna be really sucky in this and I might upload again later the edited version because I can't cheat and use Grammarly.**_

* * *

Josh Matthews sat in the college library, quietly reading his book an taking notes on writing styles. The extra work would get him an extra grade and he would be happy about that. Abruptly, a new commotion forced his book out of hours hand into it's hand. Commotion seemed to have a full head of blonde curls and the advantage of being the librarian's daughter.

"Oh, oops. Sorry," she looked at him and apologized. But she came in everyday, handing her mother her lunch and somehow making enough nose to be remembered within the minutes. Here simply rolled his eyes at her openly, and grasped for his book. Josh quickly shut his computer of and walked out. "Snappy, damn."

"Laungage, Maya!" Her mother hissed but she paid no mind to it.

* * *

Josh had the unfortunate luck to see her yet again two hours later. Maya was also a student and lived on campus. He and her didn't have any classes together, but they did share the same thirty second hallway walk together down the second floor to the ground level. Before today they never bothered each other and Josh had hoped that could still stand true.

"Hey," she tapped his shoulder. "Look, about earlier -"

"Stop there. You already apologized. I already accepted."

Maya was taken aback and scoffed. "That was accepting?"

He glared at her, "For someone always interrupting the library every morning? That's the best you'll get."

Maya rolled her eyes now, which he noticed were an ocean blue. "You really have to pull that stuck out of your -"

"At least I'm not on a high horse."

"That's exactly what it means!" Maya was exasperated already and it showed. Josh would question later why he was so argumentive with her instead of falsely accepting the apology and quietly going to class annoyed. Something about her got on his nerves more than anyone he knew. Josh wouldn't dare think of the books he'd read and how, somehow, the love interest was a polar opposite to the lead.

"I have so many better things to do than argue with you."

The next ten seconds were more awkward than he could have predicted in that moment: The two of them stood, narrowed eyes, staring at each other. "Well?"

"Fine," Maya snapped, going towards the stairs.

Josh had to follow her; his class was below the staircase. "What do you want," she had noticed and he had wished she wouldn't.

"Going to class."

"No, I am."

"Me too."

"Ugh!"

* * *

The next day went as it usually would, until Maya's expected appearance. Strangely, she didn't make any noise or loud comments and conversation. Maya also didn't call him out or give him any scrunched-up-nose looks. Maya walked calmly to her mother, gave her a brown bag and spoke softly. It terrified him.

Much wasn't known to him about the girl but he was sure she could hold herself. And so she could.

Maya has caught sight of him either from memory of where he sat or peripheral vision. Josh watched carefully from just above his book as she walked over to him. Instead of talking, like he half expected, she looked at his book. Josh lowered it for the sake of acknowledgement of her presence and she grabbed it.

"You're Belle from Beauty And The Beast."

"Wouldn't that make you the Beast?"

"If so, you're also in love with me," Maya chuckled and Josh blushed at her bluntness. She patted his shoulder, "It's okay. I wouldn't want to be in love with me either. I'm a hot mess." He thought again of the characters of fictional works he'd visited

Maya looked at him carefully. He found it strange how she could look so dangerous yet act so carefree. "By the way, no hard feelings."

"Why?" Josh blurted. He was curious and stunned.

Maya met his glance, "Because you have a stick up your ass and you can't help it." She smiled innocently and moved over to the door, setting down the good read. Josh watched as she left, then glanced at her snickering mother.

He followed her, grabbing his bag and book in a hurry and nearly tripping over his feet. "Maya," he called. She hadn't gotten far, he learned, seeing her leaning against the wall outside the door. Maya looked up at him and smirked. "Quicker than I thought. Pleasing."

"What?"

"When's the last time you had fun? Besides sitting in a dusty old library and making internal hate threats to the librarians daughter?" Maya was curious, almost friendly in that unintentionally blunt way.

Josh, however, was in no mood to accept her interest in his life and possible kindnesses. "So, you were trying to manipulate me?" He growled at her. "Of course, you were."

"Oh, please, I didn't do anything to make you come out here. I was just waiting to see if you would and you did. It was a curiosity, Josh." That was the first time she'd said his name. He hadn't even been sure she knew it.

He rolled his eyes.

"Why are you so hateful? You don't even know me."

"Because you are the definition of irritating," Josh retorted.

Maya threw her hands up in the air, groaning. "And you're _pain in my ass_. I was trying to lighten my mom's day, instead of letting her delve in self pity."

Josh rolled his eyes again when he didn't have a good response.

"Did it ever occur to you, I'm just trying to be nice? Hell, I apologized and you snapped at me."

Josh stayed quiet, upset where he wanted to call her a child's foul name (no matter how childish he knew he was being) but felt a guilty and hit for being so harsh. He really had no friends himself and here he did everything he could to ruin a potential friend. Often times, when he found himself thinking too much on simple things, he wondered what kind of mutation his brain had.

"Okay," Josh said bluntly. Maya looked back at him, brows furrowing. "Okay, I was a dick. Actually, I _am_ a dick and will probably continue to be one." He forced himself to say the next words, although sincere. "I'm sorry, Maya."

"Yeah, whatever, Belle."

"By the way," Josh looked at her. "Why did you start interacting with me after I was a jerk?"

"Um..." Maya looked away, eyes dating around the hallway. "I sort of thought you were an asshole but a really cute one who wasn't _always_ an asshole." Josh laughed and she hit his shoulder.

"Oh, Good, your one of those girls with bad taste, aren't you? God, Maya," he leaned back against the wall with her. "Your doomed," he teased.

"You know what, at least I knew a bit about you. You can really understand a person by their taste in books and - Red Sun? Brooding boys, beautiful girls, lots of drama and two-faced protagonist? Dying Earth and isolation? I bet he's your favorite because you relate to him." Maya laughed now at his sheepish look.

"I didn't know you read," he muttered.

"You know, Jon Snow. Sorry, fandom reference - " she said at his confused expression, "but my mom is literally a librarian and brings books home for me." She smiled at him and started walking away as she checked the time on her phone.

"Oh, wait, "she put a thin piece of paper in his hand, "use this as a bookmark or something."

Josh opened it and found ten numbers scrawled together, grinning at her back _. I should learn not to be so hateful and judgmental,_ he thought after a second, thinking over all her words. _And the more I think about,_ he inwardly added, nearly laughing aloud at his own reflection, _she is like the lead's girlfriend._

* * *

 ** _Edit: Hi. I fixed some of it. I'm never slide-to-text typing again just because it's faster. "Matress" doesn't mean "Maya" lol. So now there'll probably be a third edit but maybe not. Thanks for letting me know about the issues._**


	17. Like Books

**_This feel_ _half_ _-done and I'm sorry, but I hope you enjoyed it either way._**

* * *

"I really don't want to do this, Riles," Maya Hart announced to her best friend. However, even she knew it was hours too late to cancel. "Blind dates aren't my thing." Maya adjusted her denim jacket nervously for the fifth time.

"What is your thing, then?" Riley turned abruptly on her and put her hands on her hips. "You're barely twenty-seven and you have too short a list of even crushes. Sometimes, I wonder if you're secretly gay," Riley smiled innocently.

Maya couldn't much but give her the same false smile, " _Lesbi-honest_ ," the blonde's friend rolled her eyes at her reference to her favorite movie Pitch Perfect **(They're making a 3rd movie I'm excited)** , "I can't give you a straight answer to that."

"A pun, too?"

Maya giggled. She loved puns, especially bad ones.

Now with Maya in lead, they went inside a diner perfect for a casual date. No one wanted anything spendy, and no one was going to argue. Except for Maya, and about the whole affair. There were many things Maya Hart despised and first dates were one of the most passionately avoided. There were so many rules, limits, questions, and doubts. She didn't know what she was doing half the time in everyday life, was she supposed to allow it to happen without restrictions?

The two women walked up to a booth in the back where a red-headed man talked with another brunette. Mark, the ginger, was Riley's boyfriend. The Matthews pointed to the other man and spoke encouragingly but carefully, choosing her words with precision. Maya had always envied that ability. "This is my uncle, Josh." Maya smiled at him, forcefully, confused and dazzled both by her lack of knowledge of this man and - Maya had just realized how attractive a Matthews could be.

Anxiety raised in her at these points but also that this _extremely attractive_ man was sitting in front of her, Maya Hart, on, indeed, a blind date. What's wrong with him, Maya thought, if he's still on the market? She knew that she made others feel inferior by her "lack of needing them," as she'd been told once. "I'm just really independent, what's wrong with that? Would people rather I be really clingy and jealous over their every breath?" Maya had once asked a friend of hers in a partly sarcastic, half serious question.

"Hey," she squeezed next to Riley on the opposite side of the table.

"I still don't know how my niece met my dormmate," he let his voice trail off invitingly. Maya almost let her mouth drop in how even his voice seemed to emit a certain _way_ about it. She also, however, knew this story by heart, but not willingly. Mark had been someone's (Josh, she understood now) roommate in New York University, someone she visited often but would never name names. Maya had many theories on that before, but now she was lost in utter disbelief. Riley had been irritated by their phone going off incessantly and decided to pick it up; and there began a two-week flirtation with her and Mark, leading to a now two-month official relationship.

While Riley and Mark began the dance of telling, Maya let her observations roam. So much they happened to land on Josh, with his blue eyes and dark brown hair. Maya had a strong urge to cover her thoughts with memes so they seemed less surreal, even with no knowledge of how that worked with her.

 _Having fun, there, staring at me?_ Josh's thought spoke inside her head, and she would have been shocked is Maya didn't know how impossible it was for him to be talking to her.

 _Kinda hard not to,_ she said to a Josh that couldn't be listening. Another interesting fact that often had her kicked out of relationships, without their knowledge she could do this, of course, was Maya's uncanny ability to "read" people's minds. It, however, was much more complex than that but after trying to explain without telling Riley, Maya found her attempts fruitless at finding another who thought the brain had multiple layers and understood what she was saying.

 _Ahem,_ Maya, whose eyes had dropped to the ice in her cup, vivaciously looked up at him. _Actually, I can,_ and he smirked at her. Part of her wanted to shriek like a dying bat and die, but another desired to jump sprightly. She almost couldn't believe her eyes and mind. For years she had thought she alone could do this - supernatural, to say the least - and yet another sat in front of her and was the young uncle of her best friend. A third and small part of her wanted to shout Riley should have introduced them sooner.

 _Wait,_ Maya started, but was quickly interrupted.

 _No thanks, they're done talking._

 _Ugh!_ Josh chuckled aloud and Maya stopped, blinking several times before looking at Riley and Mark.

* * *

It had been about fifteen minutes later, and Josh had found a hobby interrupting her thoughts. "Oh, hey, Josh, can I talk to you for a second?"

Taking his arm and practically dragging him to a corner little ways away, Maya glared at him.

"Are you going to say something or look at me like you wanna eat me?"

"Stop smiling."

"Got it," but he didn't. "Alright," he said, turning away. Maya grabbed his arm and tugged him back with a roll of her eyes. She wouldn't be able to deny how she loved the challenge he presented her, though, and she both loved and despised how he knew and edged it on.

"I need you to stop reading into my head. It's seriously annoying when I'm trying to figure out how you can do - what I do."

"Is this why you failed all those other guys? Well, truth be told, I think they failed you - " Maya blinked at him, confused.

"How do you - "

"Riley may be your best friend but she's my niece, and we're always very close. I might've developed a little crush on you from her stories." Maya was surprised, to say the least. She hadn't expected his comment on her, or her stories, or her relationship status, and she had never thought of Riley to tell her problems like a public announcement. But then again, she had only told one person, but also without telling her. "I've had this thing all my life, it gets you in trouble. I understand completely and, hey, you don't history." There was a nervous chuckle at the end of his words and it almost worried her.

Maya slowed her words, fueled by her newfound information, and spoke dully. "Listen, we can talk later about all this but not now. No more reading?"

"No more reading."

* * *

When the night was over Mark and Josh rode together, taking the same care, home and the girls did the same. "Now," Riley started when Maya closed the passenger door, "please tell me you liked him. I mean, of course, you did, but, like, _like-like_?"

"Oh," Maya scoffed with laughter, "I don't think this is anywhere near the end of our meeting. Besides, can't you find anything better than _like-like_? Third grader." If she had looked over, she'd see Josh looking over into the car and looking her over curiously. He didn't think so either.

"Also," Maya narrowed her eyes into slits at her friend, "we have to talk about confedentiality."


	18. Argue, Argue, Argue

**Let's be clear in this Riley and Josh aren't related hard to get used to I know. 1) Catch the Supernatural reference if you can. 2) I finished this today and my computer shut down and I had rewrite from memory, so if it seems half done, that's why and I definetely felt better with the last draft, so sorry.**

* * *

Josh walked into his fourth-period classroom with ease today, believing they would be watching a documentary he could fall asleep during. No talking, no partnering up with someone else, and no need to do anything but sleep. Considering he had made the dumb but not regretted choice to stay up until one am finishing two projects for home and English class, the Matthews needed it.

His dreams, his hopes, and his will to continue down the hallway was crushed when he came to the classroom door. _IC._ The library was across the school and two staircases away, which would take him less than two minutes had there not been what seemed like a thousand noisy, evil students in that exact hallway. _Wow. Why did I bother waking up this morning?_ Josh hated the idea of having to pass that hallway and entering a very spacey room where if he fell asleep, Josh would be surely noticed.

It only got worse. After finally escaping the monstrous horde of humans, Josh found there were more people in the IC than he thought was in his class, and worse: there was nothing that concluded they were watching a movie today.

* * *

"Hey," a blonde nudged her best friend, Riley. "Who's that?"

"Oh," the brunette looked over. "He's some quiet guy in Sprunt's. Lucas says he's a little odd. Not bad, just odd."

 _Mysterious AND odd... Intrigued._ Maya tilted her head, glancing at him again.

* * *

Mr. Sprunt started talking, explaining that early in the day the teachers decided they would make students try out for the new Debate Club. Josh didn't pay attention, trying to look interested while inside he was counting how many minutes he could hide int he bathroom until someone noticed. "You'll be in groups of three," Sprunt said and Josh looked up as if someone had just killed his puppy. _Oh, no, why not just take my sanity on a plate. I'll hand it over if you stop this._ "Maya, Riley, George. Carter, Khloe, Greg. Josh, Ava -" Josh cried inwardly, " and Evan." Now he was screaming. Evan was Ava's friend, who did nothing but waste everyone's time by being melodramatic and arrogant. Ava was worse, maybe: she was so inactive in the class she was called out by the teacher, and they argued about it for ten minutes. Every week. Josh didn't bother listening to the topic, knowing they would lose and he wouldn't care.

When five minutes passed, a blonde he assumed was the named Maya walked up to him and cleared her throat. "They shouldn't lower the legal drinking age," she deadpanned.

"Why?" Josh said, purely for the sake of arguing now.

Maya blinked at him, "Because it's irresponsible."

"But if we make our own choices at eighteen, it's our choice."

"Okay," she looked as if she were about to laugh at his comment, "but brains aren't even fully developed until twenty-one."

"Then why are we even adults at eighteen? It's our choice. Team Free Will over here, boi."

Maya glanced at Riley, who looked as if she were about to run from the scene. "So you want our brains to be mush?"

"Only if you choose it, darling," he teased.

Maya blinked, looking away, before continuing on. Josh stopped her before she could though.

"Besides, think how much safer it'll be if we're drinking in a supervised area?"

"It won't be, though. People will go to bars and nightclubs - those places aren't safe."

"Traffic accidents are mostly caused by newly-legal drinkers, and would decrease those in the twenty-one ranges."

"How is that even - what? How does that help?" Josh shrugged, grinning. "Fine. What about the dangers posed on us by drinking? At eighteen, whose actually making the brightest decisions?"

"Who is at twenty-one, or ever? In fact, Maya, did you know there are less traffic accidents in MLDA eighteen countries?"

"MLDA twenty-one," Maya said confidently, leaning in on the table, "reduces traffic accidents as a whole."

"As a whole, but for the drinkers?" Maya didn't say anything. "And it doesn't reduce drinkers, because teens are drinking already, mostly, and they continue to drink." Josh leaned in closer to meet Maya's eye.

"MLDA twenty-one reduces numbers in illegal drinkers."

"MLDA twenty-one isn't even a priority for most enforcement. Just make their jobs easier."

"The American-public stands behind MLDA twenty-one, and that over-rules your opinion. Ha."

"Time's up!" Sprunt shouted, and students stopped talking. Josh chuckled at Maya, pulling back.

* * *

Minutes later, when everyone was leaving for lunch and Maya had left Josh's table, he glanced around for her. She was glaring at him, though he sensed no real threat. Josh winked at the blonde and she stopped, turning around to face her books. He decided there was nothing to lose - she wasn't even in his class, anyway - and walked over to her and her brunette friend. "Good game?" Josh stuck his hand out. Maya looked at his hand, Riley, and back to him before shaking it.

"You don't actually think they should lower the drinking age, do you?"

"No." He grinned. "I just like arguing with you," Josh said flirtatiously and walked out into the hallway and leaving the girls alone in the room.

"Oh, he is so into you." Maya rolled her eyes at Riley's comment. "And you're _so_ into him," Riley laughed at Maya's face, which was glowing red. Maya hit her friend teasingly on the arm with a book.


	19. Personal Nightmares

**_Which one-shot is your favorite so far? Enjoy. Plus, sorry if you don't understand some of the references._**

* * *

 **Personal Nightmares**

 **Come With Even More Personal Dream**

* * *

"Once upon a time, a cute brunette walked into a coffee shop. It was the beginning of a fairy tale. A modern one, which meant there was no guarantee of either not being totally and utterly pessimistic about absolutely everything."

"Could you stop?" Maya Hart snapped at her co-worker, who also happened to be her closest friend. Though, they weren't the kind to share secrets. Maya and Jess had deep-rooted trust issues, only Maya wasn't so direct about them. "He's been texting for, like, ten minutes, and we barely said two sentences."

"But there's hope," Jess smiled. "I live vicariously through you, okay? You know I'm trash, it's how I live."

"You could be Anna Campbell mixed with Jessie Paege **[YouTubers]** while I live in what is dangerously close to a trash can. Trust me, you're not trash." Maya looked back at the customer they were referring to. He wasn't gossip-worthy, to be honest. Cute, but not Brendon Urie obsession. She arched a brow, wondering why Jess was making such a fuss.

"Well, he was definitely staring at you earlier." Maya looked at her. "You know when you were dealing with that annoying cat lady? Yup."

"That's his deal, then," Maya replied. She went around the counter, walking up to him. "Refill?"

The brunette looked up at her, surprised. "Oh, yeah, thanks. Hey, I was actually wondering. Does this place happen to be hiring?"

"Did you walk in the front door?" Maya chuckled, pointing at a sign on the window. "Yeah. I can get you the boss's number, I know her very well." She filled his cup with black coffee quickly, glancing at him for a decision.

"That would be great. Thaks again, I guess. While you're at it," he grinned, "maybe I can get your number."

Maya laughed. "Sorry, but I don't think my Mom would like if two of her employees got together." His confidence faltered, muttering an understanding. Maya smirked, backing up and tightening her ponytail. "Get me before you leave for her info, name's Maya."

"Josh," he smiled again. He felt this was going to be interesting. Let it be a dream, or a nightmare to unfold.

* * *

"Okay, so we've got two tables who want to try every dessert we've got."

"Damn," Josh, Maya's three-week-long co-worker chuckled. "Does that include the cake?"

She looked at him, laughing at his suggestion. "I hope not because they'll pass out on the table before they can get up." Josh chortled and left to go get three of the five desserts - not including the cake - the group of two asked for.

"Ooh, you two seem to be getting closer." Jess came up behind Maya, making her jump. "Has he asked you out yet? The second time, I mean."

"You know he can't, Jess, geez. Besides, we're just friends. Stop romanticizing everything." Maya pointed a finger at her scoldingly. Maya didn't notice how she glanced back at Josh as he came out, sending each other a smile. She went to clear a table.

* * *

Josh sat at a table with Maya, discussing important things. "All I'm saying is a vampire would totally take out a zombie."

"No way. Vampires can only fight during the night, and they can't exactly feed on zombies," Maya argued.

"Why not?" He asked, incredulous.

"They're blood - get this - is probably toxic. It's like on Supernatural, dead's man blood equals poison." Josh stared at her.

"You watch too much of that show. It's made it harder for you to think straight," he teased. Josh leaned over, poking her head. "Anyone home? Winchesters?"

"Stop it," she laughed and pushed him away. "You're the one who brought it up. Why are even staying? I'm the one who's supposed to close up shop, you could have been home an hour ago."

"I like your company. I'm making sure you don't go and get some cats." Maya rolled her eyes.

"Cats are looking more and more likely. Only I'm allergic."

Josh rolled his eyes now, standing up and walking behind her. She asked what he was doing, his hands entangling themselves into her hair. Josh pulled her hair tie out. "There, that's better. Now, shut up, anyone would be lucky to have you."

Maya looked away, smiling faintly at his compliment. "Don't tell me to shut it. You still have to go home." She had a quiet hope, that he was staying because of her, for the right reasons.

* * *

Josh walked into work one day, looking exhausted with his hair messy. Maya furrowed her brows at him when he didn't greet her as he normally did.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Everything, as always."

"Josh, come on, be serious. What happened?" Maya pressed against her better judgment.

He looked at her, contemplating. After a minute, he sighed. "I'm just having a tough time getting up lately." Maya knew the feeling too well. "Everything is like it's in slow motion."

Maya didn't wait another moment to hug him, pulling him into her arms. Josh was stiff for a second, before resting his chin on her shoulder. Pulling back, Maya ordered him to do something. "Give me your number. Anytime you're feeling down, or having trouble sleeping, text me or call me." She smiled at him. Josh felt it stir in him to do so, to take her offer.

"You're amazing, you know? I don't know a whole lot of people who would willingly answer a call late."

"I've been there, at two am. Tired, but restless. Hurry up and give me your number, we've got work to do, slowpoke." Josh smirked at her teasing, taking out a pen from the cup on the table. He wrote it on her arm, which got him a lot of playful mocking for the day. Maya got even more from Jess.

* * *

 _"Are you awake?"_

Maya was on her computer, listening to music and looking at more Pinterest photos of art better than hers. At least, in her opinion. Grabbing her phone, Josh's name appeared. _"What's up, Zombie Man?"_

 _"I can't sleep."_

Maya sighed. _"Me neither. Call me?"_ Moments later, just when she thought he was going to leave her on read, her ringtone seemed to create as much noise as a bomb.

* * *

Josh walked up to Maya on her break. She was bobbing her head gently, her headphone connected to her phone with a pencil in her hand. He admired her when she was like this, sitting comfortably with her legs on her chair, sketching in her notebook. Josh sat across from her.

Maya saw him and pulled her headphones down to her neck. "Hey, check this out." She showed him her notebook. On it was the drawing of a dragon, assumingly a mother, guarding an egg and roaring at a thunderstorm. "Like it?"

"Why you aren't in museums is beyond me." There was so much detail to take in, from the scales on the tail to the clouds of the storm. "It's awesome. I wish I had a talent like that."

"Oh, shh, Josh. You're amazing without being able to move a pencil." Maya smiled at him, her eyes sparkling with a light with her gaze on him.

* * *

"One of these days," Josh said one day to a somber Maya, "I'm introducing you to my niece."

"What is she five?"

"No, she's like three years younger than me. I still can't believe my brother is so old," he joked. Maya mustered a smile for him. She wasn't in any mood to socialize (she would rather be huddled up in a big, fuzzy blanket watching That 70's Show) but didn't want to ruin his mood. "Okay, I've been here for half an hour and you haven't laughed once. Have I lost my touch, or are you extra depressed today?"

"All of the above," she smiled at him. There was a deep, dark hole in her eyes where the usual light, however dim, should be.

"What is it?" Josh said, ignoring her attempted joke.

Maya's smiled faded, pulling her legs up to her chest on his couch. "It's just... Remember when you said life was in slow motion?" Josh nodded. "It's that, but I'm stuck watching, in one spot. I mean, it's always been like that. I can't really... Describe it. It's hard. If you want a diagnosis, I hate myself, the universe, and everyone in it. Except for you and Jess, anyway. I mean, I've always wanted to be one of the stars in the sky, but I can't really get there."

Josh watched her for a moment. Her voice was so heartbreakingly quiet and flat. As if there was nothing left to have emotions for. "Honestly? I want to tell you to shut up because you're my favorite star."

"Why do you have to be so sweet? You suck at lying, but you're sweet," Maya smiled weakly. Josh rolled his eyes, pushing some of her blonde curls behind her ear.

"What do you want to watch next? It's a hibernation day, now. And don't," he added as a second thought, "say Supernatural."

Maya laughed, pleasing him with a real smile. "I was going to say Hyde has God's true wisdom, but okay."

* * *

"I don't like what you do," Maya confessed to Josh. He was walking with her away from the coffee shop one day. "You show up, you ask for a job. Next thing I know, you're flirting with me and making me feel good. You should stop." Josh was smiling like a fool now.

"I make you feel good? How so?"

"I don't know how you do it. Alright? But this stupid confidence thing that you, when you talk to me like I'm great how I am, it's way too annoying. It's got me thinking of you, like, all the time."

Josh smiled more. "Is this your way of saying the friend zone isn't good enough for you?" He ran a hand through his hair, his eyes suddenly full of glitter.

"Yes. So stop it. I don't like it." Maya couldn't help but laugh at herself, though, breaking the seriousness of the conversation. Josh looked at her for a moment, before leaning over. His lips reached hers. There was an electricity that should have killed them, but she had a feeling the soft and gentleness of his touch had held it off. His hand cupped her cheek, and she let him. _Despite her better judgment._

"I'm okay with that. Really, really okay with that," Josh chuckled. She felt it was more at the giddiness she too felt form the touch and moment between them. "Um," he looked around. "I go this way." He pointed behind.

"I go the other way." Maya was still staying in her place, as was he, smiling like a child. "Okay," she laughed nervously, "bye then."

"Bye." Josh smiled. Maya turned to walked but looked back at Josh. He had already started walking away, bringing an arm down and probably muttering a victory _yes._ She ducked her head with a blush, closing her eyes into a laugh.

"Maya!" Jess ran up to her with wide eyes. "Did I just see what I think I just saw?"

"Well," Maya started, "what did you see?"

"Why did Josh just kiss you?" Jess was smirking broadly, and Maya just returned it.

"I dunno. Ask him." She shrugged, walking confidently down the sidewalk.


	20. The Party's Not Over

**_There were SO MANY reviews! And they were so long! I really think I love you guys. It's honestly really mind-blowing to think you guys like my writing so much, thank you! Enjoy! this one, it's fluff is like stuffing coming out teddy bears._**

* * *

 _Inspired by Party's Over - Astrid S._

* * *

It was his first time at a nightclub. His friends, however good intentions, were viciously good at convincing him to come along. Josh smiled at one them, excusing himself to get a drink. Josh was happy they were happy, having fun, but he was regretting his decision to come along with each passing second. He hated how close he was to people who jumped in an attempt to dance, some even grinding. Josh could smell their sweat, and he wanted to attack them with deodorant. Josh glanced behind him, trying to keep from making dirty faces or letting his resting-bitch-face set in. Someone took his hand suddenly, spinning him around.

"As you can see," a blonde said loudly, snuggling close to him, "I'm already with someone. Leave me alone now." Josh watched a frowning man, who looked like he'd been severely rejected for the thousandth time, scoff and turn away. He very much wanted to follow that man's lead. Josh stood there stiff, his face burning, and his eyes wide in -

"Hi," the blonde piped up. Her hair was crimped and a natural-looking way, waving in her face and looking strangely beautiful. Josh often found that messes were more of art than some actual art. "I'm Maya. Sorry to jump, literally, on you. He couldn't take a hint," she giggled. Josh just nodded, smiling weakly. Maya giggled again. "You look so awkward right now, sorry! What is your name?"

"Josh?"

"You're not sure?" She seemed to be enjoying his _awkward_ company already, even if they had to scream to hear each other. "Come here! I can't hear you!" She grabbed his hand for the second time, pulling him away from the people and close to a curtain. Josh was fairly certain it was to a room for much more important people and wondered why they stood there if everyone else steered clear of it.

Maya smiled at him. She was buzzed, obviously. While Josh was sure his friends would be trying every horrible pick up line they knew, he knew she would read through them all. "You hate this place."

"How did you know?" He replied sarcastically, though not unfriendly. Maya smiled again, flashing teeth and running a hand through her hair. His eyes caught hold of something shiny on her wrist; a bracelet.

"Are you punk?" Maya looked back at him and laughed again.

"I can be," she smirked. "Okay, I don't want to be here anymore! Let's leave," Maya suggested. _Something about her tells me I'm not getting away that easy._ Then again, his friends were off having fun, and he could text them later. He hated this place anyway.

"Alright."

* * *

Maya was holding her arms outstretched, walking on a bench like she was Philippe Petit. Her hair framed her face, though messily, and she occasionally cracked a giggle through the night air. The air was hot on his skin and sweat lightly tickled Josh's nape. "Why were you in there?" Maya bit her lip and asked, falling to sit in the table part of the bench.

Josh sat up, leaning on his elbows in the pile of what could be thousands of tiny rocks. He shrugged. "My friends invited me."

"You always do what you don't want to for their benefit?" Something twinkled in her eyes, and he knew it was the curiosity that practically ran through his veins.

"Of course not," he said. Josh joined her, stepping up onto the bench and hovering over her playfully. "Maybe I came out tonight in hopes of meeting a beautifully strange woman." She raised her brows, letting out a _huff_ of a chuckle.

"Well, did you?" She teased him and he sat beside to her. Josh put his chin in the palm of his hand, leaning on his knees. "The night is young," he sighed. Maya pushed him, what little she could when her eyes were traveling in a roll of amusement.

"Wanna know I was there?"

"To annoy boys, you naughty vixen," Josh smirked at her. He reminded Maya of her best guy friend, a man who knew only how to make jokes. One thing the two had bonded over was how they made jokes to cover their difficulties, though Maya did it less. She preferred to be _indifferent_ , though she was anything but.

"Actually," she said, laughing through the word. "I came to get totally wasted and see how many times I can say _'totally tubular'_ before they told me to shut up." She nodded her head. "Interesting, right? _Totally tubular, dude,_ " she dragged her words out.

He had a fit. Josh laughed enough that he felt his insides start to strain, lying halfway on the bench. "That - is so -" he couldn't catch his breath for a few minutes. He wanted to make sure he could say it understandably. _"TUBULAR, DUDE,"_ he shouted for the world. Maya fell down next to him laughing. She was easy to please, and that might be one thing he really liked about her. He was easily pleased as well but found it hard to please others.

"You're crazy dorky," she muttered.

"You're crazy, period. I like it," he whispered back.

He watched her, in a non-creepy way. They were close enough he wondered if she could feel his breath against her cheek. She looked beautiful in this light, the rusty yellow of a streetlight coating her cheek. The occasional car painting an aesthetic scene of a picture you might find online.

"Why are you staring at me?" She twisted onto her side, looking at him. Josh turned on his back, shrugging.

"I'm trying to figure out which alien you are." She smiled broadly, showing teeth. Maya was in no way perfect, obviously, and Josh would bet that anyone else would think she is an incredibly _imperfect_ person. Despite knowing her for only a few hours, this he was certain of. He was also certain that it was his curse to love the tragically imperfect and underrated. And now, he could feel her stare burning into his cheek. "Why are _you_ staring?"

"I'm trying to figure out what's so great about you _humans_." Maya glared at him with a playful gaze. Josh turned back over. This was it, he felt. His possibly only chance to steal a kiss in a stupidly, unrealistically comical moment of silent, mutual staring. Josh's chest thumped through through his shirt (he was positive it wasn't true, but that was the feeling in the moment) as he leaned over to press his lips to hers. Maya didn't respond. Perhaps she didn't want him to kiss her or was too surprised. He wasn't sure if it was because she pulled away and smiled nervously. "I, um, don't think that's a good idea."

"Oh," he said. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm sorry, I took a guess..." He trailed off purposely, hoping she would save him from his embarrassment. Only she didn't.

"I should go. Save some nighttime for sleep. You know, that thing we need every once in awhile." Maya scooted off of the bench. She stood for a moment, biting her lip and holding one of her arms. Josh sat up and watched her in despair. _Well, there you go, Joshy,_ he thought. _Weren't you supposed to get better at this after high school?_

"Will I ever see you again?" He asked, both feeling hopeful and pessimistic. She turned back, her hair flipping around her blank face. It took a split second before her pink lips were uplifted again and she spoke with that of a girlish giggle in the back of her voice.

"Probably not. But we can keep these memories to keep loneliness at bay. Just think that, if we ever meet again, I'll take you up on an unsaid offer of coffee." Josh felt her words become an inspiring promise. He wanted to ask for her number. He wanted to know her last name or her Instagram username. _Something_ to keep them in touch. "But don't ask for more, okay?" Doubt and something _dark_ in a light, self-depreciating way chipped at her smile now, faltering. "I am so not good at even short-term things. I'm like a short story writer, I can't do commitment." He didn't know her, but he knew that something had installed a _FEAR_ mode into her that was activated by that word _commitment._ Maya walked away, blowing him a kiss, and he let her keep loneliness at bay for many nights.


	21. The After-Party

**_Alright, maybe I was little depressing at the end of that last one. But it was a good build-up for this one, I think. I hope this was better than the last. I hope this holds the fluff I promised in the last one._**

* * *

 _Continuation of The Party's Not Over (J20)_

The Afterparty Is Even Better

* * *

He opened the door to a small cafe on the south side of his home city. It was Josh's first time coming here, despite it being only a mile away from his apartment. He chose a booth in the back of the shop. He closed out the messages to his co-worker who apparently didn't know the hint being given when a girl gave you the number to a Chinese restaurant instead of their phone. "Poor bastard," Josh sighed to himself.

"Yes, you are." A cheery voice said to him. He looked up to find a blonde smiling, grabbing a pencil from her apron. His heart stopped in disbelief.

she seemed to have the same reaction, dropping her pencil onto the table. They both realized what a nervous tension they were created by the noise of the pencil hitting the ground, rolling off the edge. Josh and Maya scrambled to grab it, hitting their foreheads together as a result. Maya gasped in surprise over pain, but he still asked if she was okay.

It had been a year since his random night-out where he met a mysterious, but nonetheless heartbreaking blonde. And here she was.

"Yeah." Maya stood up, taking her pencil with her, and walked away from his booth. Josh bit his lip in response to a number of things. He was still in shock of what had just occurred, what was still occurring to him; this may be a second chance to get her number and fix that embarrassing kiss.

Josh watched her walk up to the counter and lean over to a brunette. The brunette, much to Maya's obvious dismay, pushed her back in the direction of his booth. He hurriedly looked for a menu but realized he didn't have one. Maya avoided eye contact with the Matthews. "Do you know what you would like today? A menu? _Instructions to the door?_ " He heard her mumble the last suggestion but pretended he didn't hear it.

"Actually, yeah. Um, so you don't owe it to me, but an explanation would be nice." Josh leaned in at her uncomfortable look, forgetting all his nice guy routines. "Why'd you disappear like that? Was I just being too forward, or something? You were really shady."

Maya sighed. "In half an hour, be here, okay? I get off then, I can talk then. Now, an actual order? Or get out, of course."

"Rude," Josh raised his brows at her.

"One, I'm rude to everyone. Anyone who says I'm nice is a pathological liar. Two, it's the real policy. No free wifi."

"Oh," he looked down. "Coffee? Black?"

* * *

"He's still here, isn't he?" Maya asked her friend and co-worker, Riley. The brunette smirked enthusiastically. Maya glared at her, knowing she was _digging_ (her actual words) the potential relationship. "I hate this jerk," Maya complained, but it was so flatly a lie. The truth was she had thought about him every once in awhile over the year, even if they had only met for a night and never again.

"I wasn't looking for a relationship then," Maya started when she enough courage to walk over to Josh's booth. She sat down across from him.

"Understandable. But why didn't you just say that?" The real question was why he was still so hung up on a one-night fling that wasn't even a fling. Just a one-night.

"It was awkward. I'd just gotten out of another relationship that just didn't... Stir anything.I thought I lost my tether to romantic feelings, I was in a funk. Look," Maya sighed, "I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings or your ego, okay?"

"I don't want you to apologize. I've always wondered if I shouldn't have taken that risk or if it was inevitable," Josh explained. "But if you hadn't been out of a relationship, would you have kissed me back?" Josh smiled a bit, trying to lift the tension.

Maya let out a playful scoff. "Sure. I mean, I _was_ a little tipsy, so..." She grinned, telling him she did know how to not cower out of awkwardness.

"Well, so was I. Probably the reason I took such a chance but the chemicals. I'm much smoother sober, I promise." They shared a laugh.

* * *

"Okay, okay. I've got one: You're like a candy bar, half sweet and half nuts." Maya gave Josh an amused but surprised look, before bursting out with a laugh.

"Oh, yeah? How about, 'Do you work at Starbucks? Because I like you a Latte.'" Josh chuckled but shook his head.

"I so win. That was not as bad as it could have been." They were walking down the street to Maya's apartment, comparing bad pick-up lines. It had turned dark, the sky grey with clouds.

"No way!" Maya protested, grabbing keys from her purse that hung over her shoulder.

Josh just raised his brows, with a fainting smile. "So..." He smiled, trailing purposely off.

"So...?" Maya glanced at the door of her home. It was a cheap but comfortable Her mother used to complain it wasn't a house and she didn't have a real relationship, but Maya defended it until the end.

"I was thinking we could do this again... Sometime - maybe. If you wanted to, anyway -" Josh stopped himself with and closed his eyes. He laughed nervously. "So I'm not good, never been good at asking people out. Could you help me with that?"

There was a pause. Not only in Maya or Josh, but it felt like she was stuck in some slow-motion movie. The first thing she thought to do was kiss him like it was a year ago and they had just met. Like she never turned him down. But Maya chalked that up to being a binger on Netflix and listened more closely to the second and third thoughts. Two was to run and turn him down again. Three, however, was much more appealing.

"Meet me here, Friday. Is eight okay?" Maya asked, tightening her hold on her bag in desperation for this to be a good thing.

Josh nodded quickly, looking renewed with hope and optimism.

"I know a drive-in. I'll get pizza if you're still interested then," Maya said.

"I will be," Josh assured the blonde. She smiled at him, chuckling with positivity. _Riles would be fangirling._ She wouldn't admit that she went up to her room and instantly started searching her closet for the right outfit.

* * *

The days were long and slow thanks to Josh deciding the only thing in that coffee shop for him was Maya. He hadn't come after she had given in to a date. Eventually, Friday came around and she had convinced herself that the date would be nothing grand if he even came. (Her hopes were low, and her expectation was to expect for the worst and not be disappointed. Though she was _often_ disappointed.)

There was no waiting by the phone, but the door was another thing. When she heard the buzzer part of her was hoping it was her neighbor Sandra's "secret" admirer bringing up flowers again. It was nearly Valentine's Day after all, and the old woman always looks forward to seeing a little something on her doorstep. Maya thought of Sandra almost like a grandmother and was always so close to telling her she knew the admirer was the old man Fred down the hall. He'd sworn her to secrecy, however.

Instead, the voice of her date came through a static-including intercom. "Hey, uh, it's Josh?"

"Coming down," Maya said, after waiting a few seconds to ensure that he didn't think she was standing there waiting for him. Even if that was _precisely_ what she had been doing. Maya took a deep breath and tugged on her leather jacket. It made her feel confident and strong, especially with a white T and dark skinny jeans. It was her go-to confident clothes. She smirked, feeling a sudden rush of the magic it did on her and walked down the stairs to her date.

"Hey," she greeted him with a grin. It only grew as he took a look at her, sweeping her entire body. The only thing she could see as everyday wear was her sneakers. But they were cleaned and a good brand, so Maya paid little attention to them. "What kind of pizza are you thinking?"

"Oh," Josh smiled, "I don't really mind any kind. You look great, by the way." Maya tipped her head downwards.

"Flattering," Maya chuckled. She bit her bottom lip gently, unknowingly. Maya really wanted this to be a true and good thing.

Not long later, Maya and Josh were sitting comfortably on the back of his car. The fact that it wasn't fancy at all made her feel more secure, however weird it made her sound in her head. Maya always had some conspiracy about _The Man_ and how rich people always turned into some sort of a douchebag. It was her teenage years, the only part of them that stayed with her throughout life, though now she kept them to herself.

"He's totally into her," Josh whispered in her ear. They were watching a movie about a rich man ( _How ironic_ , Maya thought to herself) and a low-life virgin. She still didn't understand why the name involved grey, but whatever.

"Yep. But he's more into those mommy issues. Plus he's a complete control freak." Josh looked at her, making a funny face.

"So? Don't girls dig that?" She just grinned and nudged him with her whole body, holding a slice of pizza.

* * *

Josh ended up driving to Maya's first, claiming that if he was stealing the last of the pizza, he was also driving the girl home. Maya laughed most of the movie, making a few people telling them to quiet down. Josh had quietly mocked them and played a mean and meaningless game of cruel backstories leading them to that very moment.

"I had a good time. Best time I've had in awhile, actually," she admitted on the drive back. Josh just smiled broadly, like it was a great accomplishment to treat her the way he did. _Like a Queen, truthfully,_ she added in her head. Maya laughed, suddenly.

"What is it?" Josh asked from the passenger seat.

"That movie is so weird! I'm going to nightmares," she shook her head with a smirk. "I mean, it feels like I just watched the insane version of an X film. And with good quality." Maya looked at him. Josh was trying his damnest not to laugh as hard as she was, but it proved difficult. "What did you think?"

He took a moment, still choking down laughter. "I think... It was the best camera quality I've seen on an X film." Maya covered her mouth, trying to contain her giddy laughter. It felt good to let go of the stress of life that she had been tying with her. it was like the metaphor in Two Broke Girls: a rock and a balloon. Maya was both on herself.

"This is where I let out," she killed her last laugh to say as they approached her building. Maya thought on something, then looked over to her date. He was still smiling which felt amazingly good on her. "Do you have a pen?"

It was in his dash. Maya took it out and took his arm. "In case you want another good storytelling." She scribbled ten small digits on his palm.

Josh just looked at her, the blonde who had haunted his occasional dream for about a year. He leaned, this time not wasting time thinking about it. Josh wasn't sure if it was the air, or that this time they had actually been sober, but the touch of her lips seemed softer and more entrancing than the last time. Maybe it was just his memory fogging things, but he didn't mind. Maya cupped his cheek and leaned in. Josh most certainly did not care about comparing the kisses at that action.

"Call me," was all she said, in a quiet voice, but sure in what she wanted, when she pulled away. Maya got out and left Joshua Matthews wondering what kind of hellish land he had just landed himself into because he wanted her back in his car as soon as she got out. He could still taste strawberry on his lips. He wanted to know if it was lip gloss of just _her_ , and he would be sure as hell calling her.

Looking up he saw the same brunette from Maya's work standing in a window. She was smirking down at his car and mouthed something. Josh couldn't tell for sure, but it looked like, " _Endgame."_


	22. Absurdly Unladylike

_**Heloooo.**_ _ **Starring: Josh, the Count's son, and Maya, a princess struggling to hold her right to rule. Warning:**_ _ **This is a lot longer (4,000+ words wowza) and more drama-type than my usual thing on here, so tell me how you like or dislike it.**_ _ **Enjoy 18-century rebels.**_

* * *

 _"Maya!" The Princess' mother shouted, giving her one last scornful look. "Come! We're leaving, now." Maya would never forgive her once loving, understanding mother. Of course, she had only been so wonderous and happy when she was young, beautiful to strange men, and rich. Now the Queen was selling her daughter for an alliance and a few coins. To a prince everyone adored in her country, but one she held no affections for. They had never met in the first place! The prince lived across the sea, rumored to hide in his chambers and out only if there was important business to be discussed. That meant war, which the country is split on knowing his feelings for it. Some believed he started them, some believed he ended them. Loved them or loathed them, Maya didn't care. He would never lay a hand on her if she had something to say about it, which she was determined to have._

 _Maya walked up to a carriage, fingers tracing the flower pattern melted into its metal. She would never again ride one if she married the prince. They would disappear onto his islands, his own nation, and Maya was sure she would become a miserable tool as a consort to her country. Maya moved inside, pushing her dress under her legs, next to her mother. She gave her a hateful look, one full of stubbornness and spite. "Someday, I will rule my country. I'm your only child, Mother. It's my right," she proclaimed._

 _"The only way to play such a dangerous game, darling," her mother replied, looking out the window to avoid her daughter's burning eyes, "is if you're alone. But you will be married by the time your father is dead, so your husband will rule."_

 _Maya felt disgust roll down her spine. "You'd let our country, our home, drop into the hands of some foreign man paying to marry me?" Her mother continued looking away, but she closed her eyes in dread for she knew her daughter was right. She hated it herself, but they were beginning to drown in debt and Maya's father had gotten cruelly sick. He wasn't expected to live much longer, and when he died, Maya would be on the streets, family enemies prowling around. She would let Hell freeze over their summer lands before she allowed Maya to be in such disgrace and danger. "Mother, answer me," Maya urged on. Her tone dripped in revulsion._

 _"Yes," her mother answered honestly. "I would let it drown on one of our ships before I allow you to see the aftermath."_

* * *

Maya read her suitor's note, sent to her at his last stay on the trails to her. He was coming to her country, the one condition Maya made of their meeting because she would not put herself any closer to a place she was to be thrown if this marriage succeeded. She was still young, and more intelligent than any man around her would admit. _"I await our meeting, to see if the rumors of your beauty hold true. A few days long, and you can tell me what rumors of me lay about your country."_ Underneath was his signature, which he dared to write above his status of royalty. Maya wished he would at least pretend he was buying her like cattle.

Maya put the parchment down on a desk at her chamber window. She left them open near all hours of the day, not long considering she and her mother had arrived only the day before. In came the strong breeze of the mid-day, carrying a smell of salt and trees from the close-by beach. Maya was surprised her mother had decided on a place so isolated and far from the protection of the castle. Maybe it's all Father's coughing, she thought to herself. Maya had heard what the doctors told her mother one night, that her father was dying and tonics were only quickening the inevitable. They offered one last drink, to serve him a said mercy. It had taken all of her self-restraint to wait one more moment to hear her mother order them away, loudly insisting she would never do such a thing. Maya's heart had slowed, her anger chilling and nearly falling to the ground in relief. Her faith in her mother was not what it used to be.

Down below, Maya could see a village, made with homes of cheap but fashionable taste. It made sense because the coast they were on was known for getaways for the highborn, even though they were close together. There were trails that led into the wilderness as well, though Maya had been warned about the creatures that lived inside. Ghastly things, they told her. Vicious and meat-eating, and they couldn't tell the difference between eating a human or a pig. Maya remembered this and went to her closet, picking out her boots and a dress that hugged her ankles rather than the ground. She had only one thing to protect herself should something arise, but didn't offer much confidence. Maya hid a small knife from the kitchens in her boot, careful not to put the blade to her leg. With that, she walked out of her chambers and traveled down long, twisting stairs to reach the entrance of her stay house.

Maya was happy her mother still slept, even if it was late. She walked past the staff, ignoring the one or two questions they gave her. Usually, they kept their heads down, especially to her strange inquiries. Maya insisted they treat her as any lowborn they might know but also asked for their silence when she did something her parents might not approve of. She hated to feel them around her, walking on eggshells as if they were to be beheaded for taking a misstep.

Maya walked until her feet were sore, seeing tree after tree. The color green, after a few hours, made her want to stare at the sun until she couldn't see anything but yellow at a certain point. It was endless as she kept turning away from residencies, trying not to pry into who or what might be there. They all looked the same; stones made up a few small towers, with a red wooden box between them all. Maya grew tired of it all. The adventurer in her was growing fainter as the sun fell into a pink blend and she wished something of staff talk would target her. Maya imagined if a wild beast, the look of a wolf and size of a bear, leaped before her through the cracks of trees. The idea was like a child's dream of flying through the sky, but it sent a feeling of sudden awareness. Maya stopped, about to sigh and turn back. Something cracked, quietly, around her. It couldn't be a bear-sized wolf, Maya knew, though it didn't soothe her any not knowing what was actually out there.

"Who's there?" She cried, resting on the backs of her feet and ready to run for her life. "Answer me!" There was a new series of twigs breaking as a young man with a smug grin walked out from behind an abnormally large tree. He held his hands in the air, surrendering but far from unhappy about it. Maya had the urge to step back when he puts his hands down and got within arms reach, but he started talking and she started listening.

"I'm sorry if I scared you. I heard the princess of my native lands was here, and I couldn't seem to resist such an opportunity," a man said.

"To what?" Maya demanded. "Creep around and follow a young girl? Like a scoundrel, a dangerous one." Maya pushed hair behind her ear, looking at him with objective eyes. He had the arrogant look about him, she found herself thinking. "Why shouldn't I report you for endangering the princess, the only heir and future Queen to the Crown?" There was a dare in her words, an unshakable confidence Maya used as she played with the wit of a man who'd followed her in the woods.

"Because you're too soft-hearted, my dear," he replied, still smirking. "You would never harm a man just because he admires your beauty and bravery."

Maya raised her brows at him, impressed with his response. "Bravery? Beauty? Is that what you came looking for truly, a way to sweep me off my feet?"

"I came to see what a princess would do by lonesome in the dangerous woods. Not much, I've found." He held his hand out to take hers, which she gave. He kissed her knuckles, bowing. "My future Queen," he said softly, "I am Joshua Matthews. I'm a Count's son, here with family." He moved to the side and offered his arm. "Would you honor me with a walk, my Queen?"

Maya smiled at him, intrigued by his courage and sureness. "Only if you stop calling me that. If everything goes as this week is planned, I won't have that anymore." Her smile faltered, making her eyes wander as Josh's searched her face for a lie.

"What do you mean?" He asked, concern loud in every syllable.

"Are you a patriot, Joshua? Would you fight and die for your country? Keep it's secrets, hold its fears?" Maya looked at him with the most serious expression Joshua had ever seen in his short life. He nodded.

"I almost became a soldier once, but my family called on me in times of need," he told her.

Maya looked on ahead. "I'm glad you didn't become one. They usually die within a few years, it's always an awful way to go."

Josh scoffed and shook his head. "Serving the Crown can't be an awful way to go, my Queen." Maya shook hers after he did, assuring him it was brutal she could see it still if she focused. "You looked?" Joshua couldn't understand why anyone would look upon death willingly, and in the era, it was less expected of a woman, let alone a princess.

"I told my father if he didn't let me see, I would become a queen who played with lives like dolls. Now I almost wish I hadn't," Maya confessed. "I need you to swear an oath if you want to bear one of the Crown's secrets and fears." She couldn't imagine why he would want to, be he seemed an honest man and it wouldn't matter soon enough. If she got her crown, Maya would have no fear of her people doubting that she could rule. If she lost it, Maya wasn't sure how she would go on with such a blow, but she would be married and far away. She would be safe, at the least. "Swear that what I tell you stays between you, me, and the ground we stand on. Anyone to know this... Well, they simply can't."

Joshua wasted no time bending on a knee, looking up at her with blue eyes much deeper than her own. "I swear on the country I love and the life I lead, whatever the princess should tell me will not be repeated." Maya smiled weakly. She knelt down to his level, uncaring of her dress.

"Good." Maya took a deep breath. "At the end of this week, if I am to be married, then m husband will rule and the country will no longer be in my family's hands. It will be left in those of a foreign who's never stepped foot here but to see if I am beautiful." She spoke her last words with anger, so much so Maya almost spat them out of her mouth.

"You don't want to marry him either way," Joshua blurted. Maya turned her head away, taking her hands out of his.

"It doesn't matter what I want, only what this country needs. What it needs is it's Queen, but it appears she has set her heart upon selling her daughter." Maya kicked dirt.

"Spoken like a true Queen," Joshua said to her back. "How can I help you? Talk to me as we walk," he offered. Maya turned to face him, cautious, but her mind had been made up about him. He was a patriot, he was loyal, and he could be trusted. Maya stepped beside him, the look of a soul in turmoil about her. "What can we do to stop this?"

"Nothing," Maya admitted. "Only make the man turn away from me. He's paying to marry me, which mean she wants the crown, undoubtedly. the only way my mother would let me out of this marriage is to another one, someone paying more." Maya felt like the common whore in villages near the castle. Forced into something, then shamed into continuing it. "There's certainly nothing I can do without ruining my reputation," she added. It was a disastrous situation, impossible to escape.

"Maybe my sister can help us." At Maya's warning look, Josh continued in a rush of words. "She is just like me, but on the feminine side, I swear to you. You have my word, my Queen." Maya looked into Joshua's eyes, noticing the dark strands of hair that almost fell in front of them.

"It's not your word I'm worried about, Joshua. I've just met you, but I believe you won't betray me," Maya told him, sincere. "And I told you to stop calling me that. It's Maya, to you." Joshua smiled broadly, amused and enchanted. He never listened to idle gossip, but rumors of the Princess' beauty and untraditional traits fell true. Her smile seemed to compete with the sunlight that fell quickly on them now.

"Meet me tomorrow, here, in the woods. We'll talk more, about how to fix this. I want to help you," he urged her with hopeful eyes. They were hard not to get lost in, she would admit, and his optimism was contagious.

"Alright," she chuckled, "but I must go back now. It's near nightfall. Goodbye," Maya started to walk away, clutching her skirts off the ground. Joshua waited a moment, memorizing her promise.

He shook his head, running up next to her again. "I'll walk you."

* * *

The day Maya's suitor was meant to arrive, she met Joshua in the woods. It had been there third arranged meeting, meant to be a secret companionship. Maya didn't tell him, but she was grateful for the reason to leave and the friend she gained. Each time, Joshua tried to pry something about herself out of her. Each time, Maya gave him the simplest of things. Her favorite color was blue, she told him the first time, and she had the most estranged but delightful reading list. When Josh asked what, she told him that was for next time. He had leaned in, something sparking between them. But Maya had pulled away, standing ungracefully, and promising to come back the next day. While their meeting was meant for resolves of her situation with her suitor, they talked little of it.

"There has to be a way to make me undesirable to him. You're a man," Maya said to him, sitting against a tree on the ground. "What is the most horrendous thing a woman can do?"

Joshua laid on the ground, a blanket tucked beneath them. He hummed in faux thought, a smile gracing his lips. "Be anyone but the princess. She's absolutely stunning, I'm not sure how someone has taken her away in secret yet." Maya blushed, shaking her head while he laughed.

"Because her heart does not give passage as easily as anyone who can afford to," she said. "And no man could stand a chance at taking her." Another playful grin, a laugh on the tip of her tongue. Joshua met the dare.

"Oh, well, Maya, I think you're wrong. I happen to be very skillful when abducting young women," he said with confidence. It shook when he realized what he had said, blinking. Maya laughed and joined him on the blanket.

"Perhaps I should still report you, then. I could tell them to use you as a cadaver in some medical class," she joked.

Joshua sat up on his elbows, twisting around. "Is that what you read?" He asked, incredulous but fascinated. "Dead people being cut up? You are so morbid!"

"Shut up," Maya hushed him. Josh only inched closer and closed his eyes, laughing. "I hope you laugh until your brain suffocates, you - you -"

"Scoundrel, darling," Joshua reminded her of what she had first called him. He smiled leisurely now as she pretended to glare at him. With the ends of her lips twitching upwards just the slightest, he knew she was faking. Joshua leaned in, but not slowly as last time. Joshua gave her no chance to run away before he could make his feelings known. He kissed her, lightly. It was only a few seconds, but they could have kissed for the rest of daylight. Maya had given up on leaving, it seemed because after a few moments of being still he pulled away. Maya watched him, with her blue eyes wide and enticing. She brought her lips back to his, continuing his boldness. Joshua brought a hand up to cup her cheek, but Maya pulled away once again.

"No one can ever know we meet like this," she said, worry coating her eyes now. " I want to continue seeing you, but my reputation..."

"I understand." And he did.

"We can continue meeting here, then?" Something Joshua couldn't identify laced her voice like vines to a castle's stone walls.

"Even with your reputation on the line?" Josh was in disbelief of her courage unless it was pure insanity. There were a million ways they could get caught.

"Especially with it on the line," she said light-heartedly. A dare, he saw.

"Well," Joshua smirked, his thumb tracing her bottom lip. "How can I refuse a dare from one so..." He glanced at her his thumb traced. "Enthralling?" Maya leaned in again, but Joshua pulled away. "But you have to tell me more about yourself, or this is going to be an entirely one-way relationship."

"I... think I am up to the challenge," Maya giggled. She leaned back in, but instead of his lips, Maya caught his cheek.

* * *

Maya was unsure when she got back to her mother, but it was late and almost so dark she wouldn't have found her way back until morning. She was in a daze of giddiness the next day, and the day after that. Everyone noticed it, her mother commenting on it. Maya had bitten her tongue until it bled when her mother suggested it might be because she's seeing the good in her soon-to-be marriage.

She walked outside, one morning, hearing the horns of the announcement. Maya dreaded with all her heart what was to come, even more so when she saw a man step out of a carriage. He had the straightest hair she had ever seen, cut freshly no doubt. His clothes were clean and modest, his crown the shiniest thing about him. The man Maya was supposed to marry took her hand, without permission, kissed it, and turned to her mother. Maya rolled her eyes at her mother's disdainful glance towards her nightgown. They had been in the middle of breakfast and Maya was too tired to dress into something complex. He smiled at the woman, before asking her something.

"May I take a stroll with your daughter, Queen Katelyn?"

"Of course," Maya's mother had moaned, "she's your future wife."

"Perhaps I should dress first," Maya said dryly. He paid no mind.

"Why? We don't need to go far, or long. You look beautiful as you are, my Queen." He continued to smile kindly and Maya wanted to slap it off of him. She forced the same expression and started off without him. He followed her.

"I am not a queen and I will never be if I marry you," she growled lowly, anger seeping through her teeth. "You do not get to pretend as if I will be." He offered her his arm, something that only received a glare of threatening.

"I understand," he said. "I would much rather be married to someone else who plagues my mind, as I know the same with you." Maya cast him a look of startlement. "Yes," he said quietly, "I know about the Count's son." Maya blinked and looked away.

"Do anything to him -"

"I'm not evil," the prince interrupted her. "My name is Farkle, free for your use. I do not want you, no offense, your crown, or your body. I want only a reason to escape yet another arranged marriage by my nobles."

Maya stopped, looking him over. She believed him. Not anything she could depict told her that he was lying to her. "Then help me," he voice cracked. "Help me get out of this. Surely, there is some way." Joshua had been on her mind much more than she would have liked to admit, but thoughts had plagued her nights before.

"We have an entire month here," Farkle told her. "We need to think quickly, but we have time. You can see your.. friend. I will message my preferred betrothed. But we will be _careful_ , and join forces." Maya nodded. She offered him a thankful smile before walking back inside the stay house.

* * *

"Do you like him?" Joshua asked at their meeting the next week. They laid on another blanket, Maya's head tucked on his head.

"I don't need to like him," she said, closing her eyes in peace. Joshua continued playing with hair, stroking it gently and staring up at the extended branches of trees.

"But do you?" Joshua looked down at her. She felt his shift, heard the insecurity in his voice. Maya looked up to meet his sea-blue eyes.

"No," Maya said in a firm but soft voice. "He's smarter than any book I've read, though. I hate him even more for it, honestly." She laid her head back on his chest, felt him look back up at the sky. "I was going to ask you something, though it might be dangerous," she asked in an uncertain voice. He's promised my mother he would take me to a festival. Somewhere int he village."

"I know it," Joshua said dryly.

"I wanted to know if you would come." She stared off into the trees, waiting for an answer. She felt Joshua inhale sharply, and she bit her lip. "Steal me a dance. There'll be crowds of people, and no one so important we could cause real damage." Maya sat up, looking down at him. Joshua smiled at her and pushed himself onto his elbows.

"I will steal as many dances as I can if I get to go somewhere other than this blasted forest with you," he said. Maya smiled as he pressed his lips to her forehead and laid back down.

"Good," she teased, "or else I'll have to find some other poor boy to torment with my horrible dancing." She chuckled and laid next to Joshua this time, face herself to look at him as he did her.

* * *

Farkle was a kind man. He was a great actor, too. Maya never saw him falter once in front of her mother or staff she didn't trust. He acted as the perfect gentleman, pretending to love Maya with each cell in his body. It was more of a reason to escape to see Joshua, truthfully. Maya was public on her ideas of their marriage, enough to make Farkle seem insane for staying as long as he had. The weeks went by slowly. Two weeks after Maya had asked Joshua, two more weeks of their meeting in secret, and Farkle was taking her to a festival in the village. Maya wore a silk, baby blue dress that fell to her feet. It was simple from her waist down, with white blending at the top. It was as close to a sundress as she would ever get, she realized, putting his hair into a braid inspired by Vikings stories in some of her favorite books.

She dressed up, and while everyone believed it was for Farkle's benefit, the two knew that would never be true. Joshua had sworn to wear something that suited him as a scoundrel, making jokes that she was the princess he was to steal away under the guise of the crowd. They arrived there shortly, with hours of sunlight to cover for them. Farkle danced with Maya once to the opening. People jumped high and low, spinning like drunken children to the music. It wasn't classic like Maya was used to, but drums and other instruments she couldn't remember the names of.

Her eyes scanned the crowd as they hopped, looking for a certain tall, handsome, blue-eyed creature. She spotted him lurking by one of the sidelines, watching her with a smile of adoration. Maya couldn't help but smile just as widely, just as proudly. She outstretched her arms and twirled herself through tens of people over to him.

"Where have you been?" She asked him excitedly. "You still owe me a stolen dance, remember?" Maya grabbed his hand in hers, pulling into the crowd with her. He wore messy clothing that of a loose white and puffed blouse, along with black breeches. Maya purposely took her time, drinking him in. Joshua only grinned in response, too many things to identify showing in his eyes. He returned the gesture, looking at her quickly before spinning her back into him and spoke into Maya's ear.

"You are prepossessing." Joshua spun her again, outward, and followed her deeper into the crowd.

* * *

Farkle held Maya as she nearly tumbled down laughing. They entered the stay house, later than expected. Maya and Joshua only stopped to consider being less noticeable when people had started to circle around them, pointing at them. Joshua took advantage of it and made a show for them to watch, Maya trying to keep up with him. "I had no idea he was such a dancer! I would have asked him sooner," she exclaimed to Farkle, who just smiled. Maya looked up, her hand on her stomach and stifling the last laugh as her mother approached. "Mother? You look upset." She did. Maya's mother had a face so enraged and disappointed Maya almost felt worried.

"You want to be a queen when you sneak around to do things like you have with that Count's boy?" Her mother shrieked instantly. Maya's face dropped heart becoming a hollow bone in her chest. She knew? Panic and anticipation started to spike in Maya. Farkle went rigid next to her, watching her mother with silent fear. "How are you supposed to change the public eyes of women by acting like you can't keep hands off yourself?" Maya realized what it was really about in a moment, and the bit of hard liquor she had drunk with Joshua and Farkle came back to scratch at her throat.

"I love him," Maya screamed with defiance and my legs shut wouldn't change their sexist views, Mother," Maya said dryly. "Not that I've been doing otherwise, but thank you for opening my eyes to what you deeply care for. I'll be so happy if someone says that I have been acting absurdly unladylike, maybe then I'll finally be the girl worthy to be sold." Maya shoved past her mother, giving her the cold shoulder.

"I forbid you from seeing him," her mother called after her. Maya ignored this and went straight to her chambers and into bed, ignoring all in her path.

* * *

Joshua paced the hall of his family's stay house. His sister hollered at him to stop, but he couldn't. He simply couldn't. The latter he awaited since the festival with Maya had set him on edge. It was needed now more than ever, with the end of the month looming closer like a taunt from the heavens. He had promised it would come within two to three days, at most. Mid-day, likely. Now Joshua was only more impatient as he waited for the letter that would define the next part of his life.

Maya came back from the trails, her eyes still puffy from her crying. She had received a letter from her father, telling her he did not expect to live a month more. Maya insisted to her mother they go back for his final days, stubborn on the idea there must be a cure. There wasn't, was the sad end she wouldn't admit. Her mother wouldn't entertain the idea, any of them, and Maya could only shout how riches and youth were more important to her than the family she bled. Maya ran to her chambers, furious and grieving already.

She sniffled as she stormed through the door, wrists on her eyes. Arms wrapped around her as soon as she stepped in, shocking Maya. She pushed away, looking through blurry eyes to see who the intruder is. Joshua stood before her, eyes bleeding with concern and sympathy. "What are you doing here?" She asked immediately. "How are you here? You're going to get caught, my mother -"

"Maya," Joshua breathed, "what happened? Why are you crying so much?" He closed the door and held her arms gently.

Maya rested her forehead on his chest, holding onto him like her last breath. "My father is dying. He hasn't much longer." Joshua held her closely, whispering how sorry he was.

"I have news," he said minutes later after she had started breathing steadily. "I wrote to your father." Maya blinked, surprised by such an action. "I asked him for his blessing."

Maya gasped, grasping Joshua's arms. "You did? When? What did he say?" Joshua smiled, although a bit sadly, and pushed some of her hair behind her ear.

"You can show to your mother all the wishes your father has for you to pick your future. He says the arranged marriage is off, as long as you wish it, and you are entitled to your birthright as ruler. He wrote it tas... as a will, honestly," Joshua finished on a faltered note. He didn't want the end of something bad to be because of her father on his deathbed, at least in her mind. Maya burst into a smile, laughing. She wrapped her arms around his neck and, standing on her toes, pushed her mouth to his. Joshua pulled away from her, looking into her skyline eyes. "Maya, will you...?" He didn't finish because Maya had kissed him again, muttering an agreement between back into a wall, inadvertently bumping into her desk. Joshua tugged Maya into a hug, laughing at her reaction.

* * *

 ** _I feel like I wrote the plot to a Lifetime Movie and a Hallmark Movie. But it was worth it._**


	23. Dream-Date Schemes

**_I honestly thought there'd be more to this idea but writer's block is hitting hard. Maybe I'll add more later, but for now, enjoy. [Also, excuse crappy grammar today I had to do this on my phone. In a boring class too. Oops.]_**

* * *

Josh tried to look as if he was annoyed with the girl in front of him. He wanted to disguise to anxiety that sped his heart up enough to hit his chest like a bell against it metal captor. "I don't know about this, man," he told his friend. She gave him a fierce look.

"Just act like I'm stalking you. Pretend I'm that girl from school who used to follow you around ask if you wanted free hugs," she said, a smirk creeping onto her face. Riley loved to make fun of his junior years.

Josh rolled his eyes and pursed his lips in annoyance. "Really?" He asked.

"See," Riley exclaimed quietly, "now you're getting it." She pushed brown hair over her shoulder and grabbed hold of his shoulders. "Now pushed away from me and walk up to her." For a moment Josh swore she had the _crazy eyes._ even thinking she took acting too seriously in this situation, Josh did as she said. Riley took a step closer, but Josh raised his hands in surrender and turned. He scanned the back alley, looking for the girl he and his neice had set the act up for.

She laughed with her friend, leaning on the wall. Josh walked up to her, glancing back to Riley unsurely. It had all seemed so easy in the car and at home. Now, as he walked up to a girl running a hand through her crimped blonde hair, he questioned his sanity. Maya looked at him, her smile faltering. Not in any rude or anxious sense, but who wouldn't suddenly become awkward when a stranger walked up to them in the back alley of a club?

"Are you single?" He asked, trying to make sure he wasn't crushing on someone already taken. Maya gave him a look of hesitants. She was being cautious. Josh cursed himself for thinking of this, let alone continuing to ask. "Can you kiss me real quick so that girl stops asking me to dance?" Josh's voice spoke quickly, anxiety and dread for his brutal rejection coming. Maya giggled, glancing at her friend. He gave her a look, signaling for her to say no. Maya grinned and shrugged.

She pressed their lips together, shamelessly kissing Josh as if they had been dating for awhile. Josh was starstruck. Maya pulled away and grinned at Riley - who appeared to be as shocked as Josh was. "I claim this," Maya called over to her. She poked Josh's chest and smiled sweetly.

"Wow," Josh breathed, staring widely at her. Maya appeared unfazed. "Uh, thanks, wow."

"Yeah," Maya shrugged nonchalantly. "Good luck." Josh away, dazed, down the alley. Riley watched him start to leave - their car was in the street, anyway - and sputtered as her eyes fell back Maya. The blonde waved before gesturing _shoo._ Riley did as silently told. She followed Josh, running to catch up with him.

Having no shame, she shouted at him as quietly as she could, but her voice squeaked." Did I see tongue?"

Josh looked back at her, bowing over with his arms outstretched. "What? No!" He exclaimed, his cheeks reddening. Then triumph settled in. "Oh, my God!" He burst out. "She totally just missed me! Wait," he stopped. He put his hands over his face. "I forgot to get the number. The entire reason we did this stupid plan!"

"Hey," Riley protested, "this _stupid plan_ got you a kiss. Watch your tongue."


	24. Party Fiasco

_He was the man who claimed the stars; the sun; and moon to love,_

 _She was the woman who cared for the planets all as one._

* * *

Maya laughed as Mikey made yet another joke about the politicians in the news headlines. He was the Stephen Colbert of the misfits, the funniest teenager if there ever was one. He finished off the rest of his ice cream cone before turning the corner they all rounded. He waved goodbye with his hand and a silly change of his features.

That left Maya, Riley, Belle, and Mikey walking by their lonesomes on the streets of New York, twenty before midnight.

"Soo," Belle drew out her word as she turned to face Maya. "When are we going to see Loverboy again?" The blonde rolled her eyes. Belle was ways digging into the fluffy relationship that was Maya and Josh's. It had started less than a month before when Josh expressed wanting to meet her friends. It had seemed incredibly sweet and adorable then, but all that followed was the relentless teasing and disbelief Maya was in a relationship at all. Especially with _someone like Josh_.

Maya glanced at Riley - her sister by bond knew what was going on, always. "Probably a quarter to never," she replied smoothly. Belle frowned. The pout only worked on the boys (a few girls included), however, and Maya wasn't to fall prey for her act. "What? All you guys ever say is that it's surprising and doesn't fit." _Whatever that even means,_ the young woman thought.

Mikey chuckled. "Can you blame us?" He swept his black hair to the side of his face when he looked at Maya. She had learned it as a sign of nerves or precaution. It didn't surprise her, either, because many knew that Maya had grown up on the wrong side of the tracks. She had the imperfect family and the low social class, and she used it to her advantage. Maya was terrifying, especially when angered.

It had only surprised her when Lucas, a former member of the group that had been Maya and Riley's friends. High school tore people apart. The girls were only happy Farkle still stood beside them, even if he did spend most of his time with his girlfriend, another of their friends.

"You're mean and tough, angsty kind. Like us. Josh's kinda... Soft. Like a puppy." Maya knew what Mikey was trying to say. Before Josh, she wanted bad boys who didn't care about her feelings and she didn't care about theirs. It was fun and easy and careless. Maya remembered when Henrik had brought up her past "record" when meeting Josh. It had made her boyfriend uncomfortable, listening to someone who was so obviously trying to cause trouble. To hear it secondhand.

She was still in amazement that he had told her he didn't care about her past, as long as she was in it as much as he was. And, boy, was Maya in it.

Riley cleared her throat. "Mikey, stop talking, please. My Uncle Josh wouldn't lead Maya on with a twenty-foot stick if he didn't love her." The brunette smiled at Maya. Of everyone, Riley was their biggest supporter. "Besides, it's like a novel. They are perfect for each other," the girl added in a giggle. Maya blushed, pulling her phone out of her back pocket.

"Teenage hormones have gotten to ya, Hart," Belle said in a sing-song voice. "We all think we're in love until summer comes along."

They were still walking and in less than a block, Maya would be dropping Riley off and meeting said Uncle Josh. _On way. Super duper close. - da Joshua Boing_

Maya looked up. Indeed, he was on his way, because she saw his car pulling up the street. "Hey, Riles," Maya called. Her best friend looked back at her, smirking at something Belle had said. "Joshua's here, you good to go home?" Riley rolled her eyes.

"It's literally down the street. I think I can walk half a block, Peaches." Maya raised a brow before nodding. Who could blame Maya cor worrying? The world was crazy and the people were crazier. They said their goodbyes, a returned "see you later" on both ends. Josh pulled up to the curb in a dark blue car, peering at the blonde.

"Hey, Gorgeous." He smirked at her, his deep blue eyes visible even in the dark. She wasted no time in getting in, putting her phone in his cup holder, and kissing on the cheek.

"What's on the menu, Joshua?" Maya asked as she fastened her seatbelt and he pulled onto the street.

The man hummed for a moment. She wondered how he could be wise and yet still rival Cory Matthews with his childish humor. The night before their said menu had been a binge of Pixar movies and gummies. "You choose, but I am not watching Star Wars for the third time in a row. You always lick the same one."

"It's not my fault Anni was wronged and misunderstood and is way too precious for his own good."

Josh snorted.

Maya glanced over at him. His lips were pulled up into an innocent smile. She could hardly remember when they weren't anymore. They'd both become beams for giddiness and blissful moments since they started dating.

* * *

 _Josh ran a hand - for the fourth time - through his hair. "Uhm, look, this is up to you. If you want to take things as slow as you want. Is this okay with you?" His sweet eyes as he hovered over her, lips barely broken apart, had stolen Maya from then on. That was the moment she had truly become his and his only._

 _"Joshua -" Maya faltered. For a moment the man looked terrified of what she was about to say. The last few weeks she had been calling him Joshua, the only one to do so. Her mind wondered if it always built his anxiety, a formal name. "You just asked the sweetest thing anyone has ever dared." Maya twirled her finger in his hair, as short as it was. "I'm yours no matter what type of steady we go. But I do want to stay right here, next to you tonight. I don't care what we do," she told him._

 _Josh looked like the world had fallen off his shoulders and he'd been given a magical beanstalk. "So, this is okay, then?" Maya giggled._

 _"More than, yes," she whispered as he brought his head down to lock lips with her._

* * *

Maya set her elbow on her open window and stared up at the sky. She itched to draw the clouds in their state; they looked surreal in beauty. "Oh!" She heard Josh gasp. "You've been keeping something from me." Maya looked over at him with furrowed brows and waited for him to explain. Keeping things from him? That went against every fiber in her being. "Why didn't you tell me about you last school dance?"

Maya sighed. First in realization, then in dread. She hadn't gone to a school dance for a while now since her and Riley's group had drifted. They weren't as fun anymore without everyone there. "I'm not going."

"Well, that's incorrect."

Maya brushed strands of golden locks out her face, her eyes piercing a hole into Josh's head in a glare. "Joshua..."

"Ferret..." He imitated, "I have yet to dance with you. Or see you in a dress. Think of it as charity." She opened her mouth to shoot him with her usual amount of sarcasm, but he put the car in park. Maya hadn't even realized they had approached Josh's apartment building. (She still couldn't believe he got one instead of staying in his dorm; she could keep her PDA down if it meant Josh was a closer to school.)

"My friends are going, though, and it'll just be a mess of people and bad music." Maya hadn't prepared a complete argument on why she wouldn't be going. Truthfully, she hadn't expected him to find out for another week at least.

"Wait," Josh ordered in his soft, warm tone that fooled you into believing it wasn't an order. Maya met his eyes. It still gave her chills to meet her blue eyes with his and see him like everything was written in simple words. So easy to read. "Is there a reason you don't want me around your friends? You're almost making sure I'm not around them." _Ah_. Maya hadn't planned on this question either. Ever. She wanted to avoid it like rats that carried the Black Plague.

She shrugged, unconvincingly. "They're just... Okay, they don't see how we work. We're opposites, ya know, so it's really nothing." _Don't press, please, don't press,_ the woman inwardly pleaded. Josh pursed his lips together. He didn't buy it. "They're just not used to us."

He raised a brow, not facing her.

Maya sighed. "It's true, Joshua. They aren't entirely sure about us. I've given up on convincing them, so I'd rather just ignore their doubts." She glanced out her window. It wasn't as if she agreed with their teasing and unsureness. She loved Josh with her utmost soul. He would take up the places in her heart, part no other boy could ever touch. But there were things - or rather, people - she hadn't cared about talking about until Josh came into her love life. Now, Maya was insecure about her past flings and meaningless dating. She didn't want him to see her as the society did on girls who had fun with their sexuality (the slut-shaming bastards, Maya added inwardly). Society had taught her something; when you didn't care, you could ignore the self-appointed judges. When you afraid the person you loved was going to judge you, enjoying the simplest pleasures of life was a no-no. Even if it was one of the worse ideals.

"Then... Can we ignore them together, dancing to crappy music in a high school gym filled with erratic twerps actually your age?" Josh leaned in against his steering wheel, smiling. Dimples. He had dimples. (Josh had friends too, of course, and unlike her "dark-siders," she enjoyed the older, more thought-provoking conversations and mature-yet-child-like fun.)

"I told you I would rip those dimples out if you keep using them against me," Maya tried to say angrily between her controlling giggle. "Ugh! Fine, Boing. For you and your stupid boyfriend-ness." The man grinned broadly. "You're _super duper_ lucky I love you."

If Riley had been there, she no doubts would have been squealing in their ears.

* * *

"You did this." Maya pointed at Riley from the moment she crawled through her window the next day. School had ended barely an hour ago. "You told Joshua about the dance," the blonde clarified as she peered at the bed. There sat the brunette with a cheeky smile on her, her arms folded over her chest. Maya glared at her. "I _told_ _you_ I wasn't going, Riles!"

Riley shrugged, only adding to Maya's fury.

"I confided in you, Riley, that I didn't want Joshua to know how Henrik and them were behaving. It'll only worry him and that'll worry me and the jokes will get worse and then Joshua will think they're serious and that's a whole mess I don't even want to think about!" Maya let out a gasp of air and plopped onto her regular seat in the bay window. She gripped the edge of the seat, leaning over her knees, while anxiety and dread started to pool in her chest.

Riley continued smiling. "Are you done now?" She asked kindly. Maya pursed her lips into a thin line. The young woman got off the bed and sat next to her best friend. "You worry too much," she said flatly.

"Blunt enough, Riles?" Maya snapped.

Riley rolled her eyes and put a hand on Maya's shoulder. The other girl finally turned and looked at her best friend's sincere eyes. "Josh knows you love him. Besides, shouldn't he know? Maya, I don't know why you don't just tell Henrik to stop his stupid talk." Her brows furrowed. "You do know why he's doing it, right?" Ah, yes. The infamous crush Henrik claimed to have in Maya. Well, he claimed he cherished her and they should be together. Maya had told him one night, to give it up or leave. That had been little before Josh had met up with Maya, tired of trying to ignore her when they saw each other in the cafe or at the Matthews. She was almost eighteen and he had only one more year of college. Against better judgments, they gave it a shot. Of course, Maya had told Josh of Henrik's infatuation before the boys had actually met - "If you're not worried, I trust you," he had told her, spurring a Maya-like fever of grins.

She had no intention or desire to be with Henrik, and his relentless flirtations had only secured that. He promised to back off.

"Yeah, but he won't listen, you know? He's so persistent I want to slap him with a broom." Riley gave her a pointed look, raising a brow at Maya. The blonde shrugged. Sometimes she wanted to hurt people with random objects. She'd wanted to throw a clock at her driving teacher. Impulse control was key. "It's not just him anymore, it's Belle and Mikey, too. God, I know I have a record -" unknown self-proclaimed bad boys who only shared her desire for no strings, "but it's Joshua, you know? He's always been so much more than those guys." Much more mature than Henrik could ever act.

It was _Josh_. No one could escape his adorable laugh, his sea-blue eyes, or his loving instincts. If Maya Hart couldn't and didn't want to, the world had no chance. Riley squeezed her shoulder in comfort. Reputations were hard. Life was hard. High school was harder.

"I don't even have a dress. I'm more unprepared than the people who watch my Mom's auditions," Maya sighed. Her temple was starting to hurt with the weight that was suddenly pressing against her lungs and making it difficult to breathe. In the corner of her eyes, Riley smirked.

The brunette stood and walked to her closet. There was a shuffling as Maya watched her move. Riley pulled out a bag in the shape of an overly large shirt. "Here you go, Peaches. I got it after I caught you staring after Auggie's birthday." Maya gaped at her best friend. The dress - which she could still remember seeing down the street - was a sparkling white with the skinniest belt Maya had ever imagined. It was strapless, layered, long, and beautiful.

Maya gasped at the sight of it again."What did you do?" She asked a proud Riley.

* * *

And so came the night. The sun was dead, the moon a beam in the city sky. Maya's heart banged against her chest watching from Riley's window. Josh was walking up to the building to pick up both his niece and girlfriend. How surreal they were already together, every day, laughing and smiling.

She wore the dress. Maya would never admit it to anyone, but it made her feel royal. Somewhat like a queen about to enter a ball knowing it wasn't about the dancing or drinks - but the politics. Oh, but Josh grinned ear to ear in a cleaned suit of black and white. He even wore a messy tie. Maya chuckled at that with an adoration spreading across her features. He didn't know how to tie one and she often ended up doing it for him.

She sighed, still smiling lightly. Maya picked up some of her dress to carry in front of her. No need to step and rip it. She met Riley at the door, taking a picture with her for Topanga.

"Now Maya," the woman called. Surprise jump-started her heart for a moment, but a spared glance to Corey cleared it. Maya walked away from Riley and took her separate picture. It hit her: She was family. Even if her mom was at work a bit late, taking an extra shift before she knew the date of prom. Topanga was a second mother, Corey a father, and Riley had always been her sister. Fuzziness engulfed her chest and made it almost hard to breathe.

The door opened behind Maya and she twirled to see Josh. He blinked at her. She tucked a strand of wild hair from her shoulders to behind her ear. Maya knew Josh loved her, so why was she self-conscious? Why did a little ball of panic and hope and wishes swallow her when she saw him then?

Josh broke out in a broad smile, leaning in to kiss her. "You're so beautiful, Ferret." Cherries found their way to her cheeks. Topanga yelled for another picture, and then another, and... Maya lost count of how many were taken before someone yelled an excuse to escape her blinking camera.

* * *

Immediately, Maya regretted ever leaving Topanga. The school was crowded and the music was awful. It made her ears ring and bleed at the same time. Henrik and Belle found them almost as soon as they walked into the gym, smirks, and grins about them.

"Loverboy!" Belle called. She put her arms around Josh from behind, bear-hugging him. She hummed ironically. "How. Are. You?" Josh chuckled nervously - he never did like Belle. She was always a bit touchy and obnoxious.

"Good," the man replied automatically. He shot a desperate look toward Maya. She smiled weakly back, visibly uncomfortable.

Henrik put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her hair a bit. He wore a tux, but it didn't truly suit him. His body and soul was a playful sinner and no clothing could hide that. It was what allowed them to get along. "Hands off," Maya told him without hesitance, loud and firm. He obliged.

"Wazzup? You look worried," he asked with mock concern. Maya rolled her eyes inside her eyelids. "Which reminds me." A devilish smirk crawled onto Henrik's lips and as if on cue, spiders crawled up Maya's spine irritably. "How serious are two?" Riley tossed an annoyed look about. "I just wanna know because you say you're in love, but you guys aren't exactly compatible."

"Are you serious?" Maya snapped, almost shouting.

Belle and Riley let out disbelieving noises at the same time. "Subtle, aren't you, Rik?" Belle commented. Josh watched all of their reactions carefully, confused, but his suspicion something was bubbling underneath more apparent.

"It's true!" Henrik cried. "Come on, she's done a lot of guys but none were like Loverboy." Maya's jaw dropped. She almost slapped him there.

"I will kill you," she heard Riley say, barely a whisper, next to her with the blankest expression she'd ever seen. A murderous Riley was a sign someone needed to leave. Josh's eyes widened to the size of glass bottoms, but his mouth stayed shut. Maya noticed a brief clench of his jaw, however.

Belle cursed at Henrik. He shrugged.

"You don't actually love her, right? She's just using you so she doesn't have to lie to me." Henrik stared Josh in the eyes, serious and brusque.

Josh took a small, slow step towards the boy. "You should be lucky I'm not a violent person," he said. Maya knew that if he had his way, Henrik would be on the other side of the gym and on top of a broken punch table.

She was grateful he wouldn't do that to Henrik. At least, not in front of her or Riley. He wouldn't allow himself to be so impulsive in front of them - it made him feel ashamed. But if the boy weren't still a minor, who's to say what Josh would do? Maya, however, didn't care for shame or restraint. She felt her hand go up to Henrik's cheek and watched a red print of it formed on his skin.

" _You_ _tard_ ," Maya spat out quickly, not without its venom. It was her word. Red Forman had Dumbass and Jessica Jones had Asshole, Maya had Tard.

Henrik chuckled after a moment. She was aware of the small group of people watching them. Maya pulled clammy hands to her sides. "I didn't sleep with even a handful of people, but why does that even matter? They were flings. You were nothing." Henrik looked enraged, turning to face Maya. Oh, the message was clear: _I chose meaningless over you. I chose him over you before you had a chance._

Josh's jaw clenched once more, his eyes darted from his niece and his lover. What was the best thing to do? What could he say that would send the message loud and clear enough for the boy drunk on delusion to understand?

"Maya is the freaking stars and moon and sun all at once. I'm a lovesick fool for her. So, she dated a few guys, or slept with some?" He ignored the prying eyes around them, especially Maya's. She looked unbelieving, listening to words she never imagined could be for her, and then the acceptance she hadn't known she'd truly wanted. He was unlike society, although, wasn't he always? Shouldn't she have trusted him to be accepted in the first place? That was a conversation for another time because Maya knew Josh would have something innocent and wise and understanding to back up her initial feelings. "And I know she loves me. But disrespect her again, and I will personally make sure the last few weeks of your high school year will be a terrifying Hell. You won't be able to walk to class without wondering, What will happen today?" Maya knew he would keep that promise. Josh wasn't violent, but he knew people and psychology was his field. Psychological warfare was his Sunday hobby if there was someone who deserved it. Maya was both infatuated with his dorkiness for it and worried for whoever found themselves deserving.

Henrik shut his jaw tight at Maya and Riley stepping beside Josh, heavy looks on them. Looks no one would dare refuse. The boy scoffed, grinning bitterly. He gave Maya a lingering look before stalking off. Maya exhaled, her shoulders falling limp. Josh put his hand on the small of her back. She looked up at him. Oh, the emotions so obvious in his eyes. Always obvious, always in his eyes.

Maya took hold of his hand, warping their fingers together, and walking away from Belle and Riley. They pulled close to the wall, not far from the doors. People watching cleared away.

"Why didn't you tell me he was giving you crap?" Josh asked, hurt in his eyes. Maya felt her chest hurt and perhaps the most painful shame digging into her bones. People passed them, going back to their friends and dates.

"I just - I'm sorry, okay? For that, for him. I didn't want you to worry and think I was..." Maya stopped. "That I wasn't your Maya. The one you love and loves you." She squeezed his hands and be squeezed back.

"One tard isn't going to change who you are. You did hear me call you the stars, right?" He attempted to joke. A gentle smile graced Maya's lips. That helped the dull ache hitting him at her doubts. Hers lifted at his use of her word. "You can tell me anything, Ferret. Even if it's a little odd or impractical, you know? I told you I didn't care about other exes or guy friends and that was true." Josh looked away from his girl. His queen if there ever was one. He saw Henrik instead, glaring at them from the punch stand. "Can I demand hem's gone, though?" He asked her in his squeaky, hopeful voice.

"Gone the moment he opened his mouth," Maya smirked. Josh smiled thankfully in response, pulling her closer to kiss her forehead adoringly.

Maya sprayed her fingers on his cheek, despite their heights. Her eyes were like portals to a pool of emotion, majorly her gratefulness and adoration of the man before her. She smiled and shook her head lightly. "Maybe I'm a bunch of stars but you're my planets, Joshua." He smiled back, taking her hands into his. He didn't vocalize his joke about how space was made of a bunch of gasses like them, then. She was too beautiful at the moment in her dress, smiling like he was artwork on a gallery wall.

"You know you're the only one who calls me Joshua?"

"Yup," Maya grinned. No one else ever did after she first started to cling to him that - it was, now, her name for him. Just how no one else was allowed to call her Gorgeous or Ferret. Boing was Maya's, a given. "Now, come on, you brought me here. You dance with me." Josh rolled his eyes with shimmering eyes, taking her hand in his and moving to the dance floor.

* * *

 _And so they made a Universe together._


	25. Beast Politics

**_I feel like there's a lot of drama in this and for that, I apologize. I tried to squeeze as much fluff as I could with this storyline, I swear. You be the judge of my work._**

* * *

The world is dark, but not without its light, even for a vampire. Maya Hart had known a few lights and a lot of darkness. She was an angry woman to some, loving to others, but strong to all. Her mother and father cast her out when she was ten after an attempt at her life was made. What did she say to them? Royalty has its price. When she was fifteen, they decided it was better she kept moving around after her father was almost killed in a contest. Maya wasn't sure how that had almost killed him - unless there was dead man's blood or decapitation. At sixteen, she met the Matthews family. They were to be her pretend family, the ones she traveled with. They felt like it - especially Riley Matthews, the sister she never had.

 _"Hey, Riles," Maya called, tucking blonde locks behind her ears as she peered over a cliff. Water crashed into rocks like cracks of thunder in the sky. "You wanted to swim, right?" She smirked at the brunette who just widened her eyes, a hint of a smile gracing her lips._

 _"My dad will never let us go out in day, Peaches," she said, but still smiled. A chuckled rumbled Maya's chest._

 _"I know."_

Riley's best friend, Lucas, was always only a phone call away. Maya liked him a lot, but in a different way than Riley.

 _"Maya?" Riley asked the blonde one night, laying on the bottom bunk. Maya lay next to her on the floor, a blanket beneath her and headphones around her neck. Maya always loved her_

 _"Yes, Riles?" Maya asked absentmindedly._

 _Riley turned over on her elbows to face the blonde. "Why do call Lucas names? He doesn't mind, but I thought you liked having him around." Maya opened her eyes, looking at the concern on Riley's face._

 _Maya sat up, resting back on her elbows. "I do. But I tease him because it's my way of showing that I listen. I guess, I kind of do it a bit more than others," she told her. Riley furrowed her brows but seemed to understand._

 _"Why?"_

 _"I don't know."_

There was, of course, The Farkle, which everyone loved more than their bloodthirsty Thanksgiving meals.

 _"HAH," Farkle yelled again, telling another science joke that no one really understood._

 _"We - We don't get it, Farkle," Lucas mumbled, looking blankly confused. Farkle smiled broadly, but not unkindly._

 _"Well, it just means that one day, I'll rule the world, and when I do, I'm gonna clone myself inside a bunch of robots."_

 _"Woah..." Riley whispered. Farkle yelled, "HAH," again and Maya smirked, nodding in approval._

 _"Are we a part of this world domination, Mr. Farkle?" Maya asked him. Farkle nodded._

 _He moved and sat next to Maya on the ground. "Why, of course," he replied in a smooth, but an almost eerie tone, "you two will be my wives. Lucas, you can control the sports news." Maya inched away jokingly while Riley laughed._

Cory and Topanga were like second parents to her. They were kind, loving and gave the greatest advice. Especially when it came to Riley's uncle, Josh. Oh, Maya had dreams about Josh. He had deep blue eyes and dark brown hair, the smile that Maya saw as the best light she'd ever been greeted with. He liked her too, or at least she thought sometimes. He'd talk to her like not even Riely did, like an equal. Maya respected him most and would tell him nothing but the truth. She didn't tease him like Lucas. Didn't move away like Farkle. No, Maya found herself utterly under his spell and it brought out her weird side - she had no filter.

 _"Dear ole Boing, my favorite guy, how are you? In love with me yet, I hope?" She said one day, looking at with a smile so long it was starting to hurt her cheeks. Josh laughed._

 _"Isn't that against the rules, Little Ferret?" He asked, grinning at her. he flirting was her second favorite part, right after the meaningful conversations. They flirted - a lot._

 _"Call me Girlfriend," Maya pressed._

 _"No thanks, Gorgeous." Her heart stopped. Her smile faltered, but then it widened into a toothy one. She never asked why he continued calling her Gorgeous since then, but she liked to think he meant it. She liked to think she wasn't imagining it when he seemed to smile brighter and bigger when she blushed at the name. Officially, they never started dating. They never kissed or made love, with the exception of a few stolen cheek kisses. Neither of them ever said they loved each other or even liked each other - but it felt unspoken. Josh asked only Maya places, Maya only asked for Josh's comfort, Josh was the only one Maya truly flirted with, and Maya was the only one Josh looked twice at._

Maya hated her parents for not being her family - she hated their excuse on the dangers of their family line, of the monarchy that set them up for it. She wanted to burn it all down with a true fire in her lungs, but she couldn't. She let the Matthews take care of her until her father said that she could go off on her own, the whole sixty years - in the human world, she was twenty-one. She always looked twenty, for the last seventy years. She was turning a hundred that year. In a hundred more, Maya would have to face the decision of the royal council if her father stepped down. In a hundred years, Maya might be ruling in the monarchy she despised. Still, she kept Josh's, Farkle's, even Lucas' number. Even after Riley's spiral.

* * *

Maya walked into the church, her hands pushing open both doors at once. She felt nervous, hungry, and most of all, angry. Whoever was looking to meet her clearly had no idea who she was. Anyone and everyone she had ever met knew enough to stay away for a minimum of 24 hours.

"Highness-" a man started, standing by the door of the staff room. Maya waved a hand and he stopped talking. Nice, she thought. That would most definitely come in handy.

"Who is it?" She snapped, in no mood for games.

"He said you would know. Does Prince Boing help you?" The man replied, looking hesitant to speak. Maya's eyebrows furrowed. How in any case would that help? She had the only ever called one person Boing, but not Prince Boing. And her Boing was exiled long ago.

Maya nodded despite her confusion. The man moved aside, letting her through the door. Walking inside, there was only a figure by the desk. She only saw his back, staring out a colorful window painted with a woman holding herself in content. She took slow steps, closing the door behind her. "Who are you?" She asked loudly, no hint of submission in her. She wanted answers and now.

There was a chuckle - a vaguely familiar chuckle that made tiny spiders crawl up her spine. "Come on, Gorgeous," the man said, his voice making Maya take a step backward. He turned around and smirked at the woman. "Don't you remember me?"

Maya sucked in air, her eyes crossing each and every feature of him in this dim lighting. "You can't be here. If someone sees you-"

"I'm already dead, Maya, what are they going to do?" He interjected, looking as tired as she felt. Maya glared at him. How dare he not be concerned for his safety. "Besides, I'm technically not in exile right now. The king who exiled me is dead, and you're not Queen yet," Josh added matter-of-factly.

Maya breathed slowly. That was technically the law between the vampires. But most knew it wouldn't be stupid to show your face until you were announced pardoned. And how rare it was to be pardoned. "How are you here?" She asked quietly, nothing more than a whisper.

His face contorted. "As soon as I heard about your dad, I..." He paused, running a hand through his messy hair. Maya would be lying if she said that it wasn't one of the things about him she had missed. For fifty years, there was no one she missed more. Josh wasn't about to say anymore, Maya knew because he looked to not have the right words. Instead, she ran up to him, throwing her arms around him. She let out a choked sound, like a cry.

"Thank you," she muffled into his shirt. It was soft and smelled like rainy days and breezy summer nights. Her favorites. "I've missed you." Finally caught from his daze, Maya felt him squeeze her closer.

"You have no idea how much I've wanted to come to see you, but your uncle said you were busy and all this exile - You're a sight for sore eyes, Hart." He pressed a kiss to her cheek. That's when Maya felt it. That same heartbreaking tear in her chest she had when she told him about her father's plans to make him leave. Maya pulled away for a moment if only to look at him. His blue eyes were still better than a sunny sky.

"I love you," she started speaking hastily, "and I always have and I never want you to leave and I am so sorry that I didn't say anything before and that I didn't stop him." Maya leaned on her toes, pulling him closer to her. But before she could kiss him, Josh stopped her.

There was a silence more suspenseful than her favorite horror films. Josh looked so horribly sad at that moment. "I know you loved me, Gorgeous. Leaving was on your dad, not you, okay?"

"I could have fought him," she whispered stubbornly. Josh shook his head.

"I love you more than anything, even after half a century. But things have changed," he told her. She sucked in a breath at his words but nodded nonetheless. The beginning was a dream come true, but it had turned into a nightmare instead.

"That's true." She dropped her hands from him and backed away. "Now I'm going to be Queen. The entire faction is going to need help."

"Don't stay here," the man whispered. He brought himself closer, only a few inches away from touching. Josh cupped her cheeks with a barely hopeful face. "Cory won't ever let you be safe if you're coronated. He'll do anything, we know that. Come with me," he said. Maya wanted to laugh. Not to be cruel, but it wasn't just that easy. There were laws - and any royalty about to become a leader was to be killed on sight if they ran from their duties. It wasn't only that.

Maya shook her head in his hands. "I don't like monarchy or that I have to be a ruler. But I am, Josh, and these are my people now." Truth be told, Maya had always been good at politics. She just hadn't told anybody for the sake of teasing. There were so many things that had to be done - peace between radicals and level-headed, new ways to prevent vampires from turning innocents, helping those who were turned anyway. "I'm not turning my back on them anymore," she finished. Oh, it broke her heart to see his understanding. "I can pardon you and you can stay, but it doesn't change things much. Many still won't like you. You did try to steal their princess once before."

* * *

 _"Run away with me, Maya," she could hear Josh whisper in the darkest alley in his town. "You don't want to be queen and I can't stay. There are people who will help us."_

 _"I can't, Boing," she told him again, "my father - the council -" Maya shook her head at him, unable to meet his eyes. She stared at the ground._

 _Josh gently pulled her chin and kissed her, softly. Maya was surprised, but her eyes fluttered shut anyway. Time must have stopped or the stars must have exploded because she couldn't contain the new feeling in her stomach. She kissed back. Maya didn't think her first kiss would ever mean anything to her, but even in a dark alley arguing about running away, Josh meant everything to her. He pulled away._

 _"If that didn't mean anything to you, tell me. Tell me and I won't ask you to leave with me, Maya," he said, a painstaking crack in his voice that could only drive Maya to tears._

 _"I can't go-"_

 _"Why?" He almost shouted. "You're not safe and you want to stay?"_

 _"I have responsibilities to the people."_ My people _, she thought. "I'm sorry." Maya bit back a sob before she turned, clutching her stomach as she walked away. She couldn't see the tears that rolled down his cheeks._

* * *

Josh hung his head at that. He still loved her - how could anyone not? But his heart was getting tired of the pain she brought behind her. It didn't matter, however, because he'd keep coming back for her. She called his name softly, bringing his attention back to her blue eyes full of emotion and her golden locks shaping her face.

"Why wouldn't you have come with me? Here." The question shocked him. In truth, Josh couldn't fully remember why he hadn't asked to stay with her, only that there were people that hated the thought of _them_ more than _her_. A knock at the door interrupted them.

"It's Topanga Matthews." Maya sighed with relief. She couldn't handle her uncle right now.

"Come in," she said, loud enough for them to hear. The door swung open and a darkly dressed but friendly woman came inside. Her eyes met Maya's, drifted to Josh, and met the blonde once again. "What is this?" She asked. Topanga could be trusted. No matter what Cory tried to do to Maya, Topanga had always warned her. Comforted her. Topanga was a great woman and in high respect from everyone. "I have to talk to you about Cory. He wants you away from the throne."

Maya nodded. "Josh made a surprise visit. What is he planning?" They weren't talking about Josh anymore - bigger fish to fry.

"He wants to tell the council you intend to destroy the monarchy." Maya's eyes widened. No one would be in her alliance if they didn't think she was willing to keep up the legacy of her family. They'd tried everything else - everyone knew it didn't work. No one ever agreed on anything, anyone voted in turned out to be a tyrant half of the faction hated and the council had been put in place if only to keep the current ruler from doing anything too rash. Maya had to make a true decision now - let them put her uncle in place instead of her, because every lord and God knew that was his next idea, or accept everything and give herself entirely to the throne.

Part of her knew she had made that decision a long time ago. Now, she needed a plan. Maya knew keeping it from them was no option, considering Cory Matthews would never be swayed down from his offensive.

"What're you going to do, Gorgeous?" Josh asked quietly. That hurt her more than he could know, the somber look in his eyes.

* * *

Maya decided not to do anything. She had paced her room for three hours, trying to think of something that didn't end with more politician intricacies and bloodshed. There wasn't a way to get Cory thrown off the council - everyone adored him because of his hero days by her father's side. There was nothing to do until the day of the coronation.

Maya wanted nothing more than to forget about Cory Matthews and his hatred for her. She knew it was only because she reminded him of Riley. How dare he hate her that? Maya had nothing to do with what Riley did. That was on Charlie, the vampiric asshole he was. Not even the undead could fight a pretty face with great manipulation skills. He'd talked the most innocent girl on the planet into becoming a criminal. After her first feed with him, she'd been lost. Killing a human during a feed is like a drug - it gives the biter a high, one that is more euphoric than anything in the human world. There was a knock on Maya's bedroom door. Oh, she was tired of knocks today. "It's me," said a voice. _Josh._

Maya went to the door - she stopped when she got close to the knob. Did she want to see him? Could she handle that, too? Maya opened the door. Josh leaned one arm against the frame of the door, wearing a dark blue beanie and his tan jacket. "Hey," she said softly.

Josh didn't bother looking for an invitation, instead closing the door when he stepped inside. "I want to talk to you about fifty years ago," he explained. Maya had forgotten about his forwardness - Joshua Matthews was never one to beat around the bush. She liked that about him - eternity was long, but time for small talk and subtleness was short. Something in her chest stung again, at the mention of Riley.

"I miss her," Maya said. She didn't bother being quiet. It had been too long since she had been able to talk about with someone who had known her. Now, everyone thought so little of her it could fit in a glass jar.

Josh sighed. "Me too," he said sadly. "Why didn't you stay? After it happened, Maya, we all needed each other." She would be lying if she said his forwardness now didn't hurt her a bit.

"I tried to, to go to the funeral." Maya fidgeted with her hand, sitting on her bed. She stared at the floor. "Cory said I should go to my father, that I was no longer their charge." It had been strange how Cory had so quickly changed to hate her. She suspected he had been a good actor for a long while before Riley. "Why didn't you return my calls?"

Josh sat beside her, staring at his hands, folded together. "It was hard to be without you guys, any of you, but, uh... I figured it would be harder if I tried to live in two worlds at the same time." Maya nodded. She could understand that. It was part of the reason she stopped trying. Josh looked at her. "Why didn't you leave with me?" He croaked. His brows were furrowed in his emotions. Maya could feel her eyes starting to sting again, but she kept blinking potential tears away.

"I hated my parents, you know that. But I want to change what they didn't, for our people. My people, if Monday goes right." Maya met his eyes now. "I kinda have to, you know? I can't just not do anything about the way we all live." Josh put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her close. It was as much for him as it was for her. Fifty years was, no doubt, a long time. And feelings like the ones they shared never truly went away.

"I get it, just wished it was different," he said. "I'll be in town until your coronation. If you want, we can hang out..."

Maya scoffed through the lump in her throat. "Duh, Boing."

* * *

Two days really wasn't a lot of time, when she thought about it. Not that she didn't have time to, because she and Josh never actually left the building. Well, Sunday they went out for ice cream and then tacos, but they were otherwise watching TV and making bad puns. Maya didn't regret not getting up fully, but she was sure Josh didn't either. Considering he kept telling her he was never letting her leave again unless it was for food. It felt nice - being close to him like no time had passed when in reality, a forever had passed through them.

* * *

Maya stood at a podium. It was the hour before the coronation if it would go through. Maya knew she needed it to. Royalty was a burden Maya had always despised, but she was grown up now and if there was anything she was going to do with her family name it was to change things. There was a large crowd before her - everyone in the faction, and she could even see Josh, lurking in the shadows in the back of the church.

"I've brought you here to confess something," Maya started plainly. "I've hated the crown and the power that comes with my family my entire childhood. A lot of you know I was hidden for my safety." No one dared make a sound. No one could blame her for hating the crown when she had to grow up without her parents because of it. That was something agreed on. "While I was hating the crown, my father ruled in the monarchy. He wanted to change things - the way we feed and hide, the way we turn. But nothing has been done. What I need you to know, is that I no longer hate the crown. I don't hate monarchy the way I used to." There were a few whispers. "I do think there are better ways, but not for us. Not today." More whispers. Cory Matthews, standing beside Topanga, looked enraged and puzzled. "I don't want to break the crown, I want to break our struggles. Our children shouldn't have to hide in apartments, learning how to control their feeding alone while their parents work. Those who turn by force or accident shouldn't have to be alone either. Before you think of following me because you followed my father, think about what you want. If you believe I can change things, be at the coronation. If over half of who is here now isn't there, I will not take the power of my legacy. Topanga Matthews will." Uncle Cory looked over at his wife, who was starstruck, in shock. Everyone was shocked. Maya breathed in slowly - Topanga was the only one who could do it. She was every bit a leader than Maya, and more so. Cory could never rule, not with the bitterness brewing in him.

Maya searched the room. Everyone was talking amongst themselves, but she wanted to see what Josh was doing. She didn't see him. Maya turned away from the podium and walked off the stage, leaving through the back.

She went to her room in the back of the building - her family owned the church, along with a bar. It had been funny to Maya that they owned a church for the faction of vampires they ruled in a very medieval way in a very modern world while paying for that church by managing a bar. Walking into her room, Maya was thinking of this. How she and Riley used to make jokes about how her family was canceling out the human version of sin with the human version of divinity. Josh sat on her bed, surprising her. Maya smiled lightly at him. "You like my speech?"

Josh smiled adoringly at her. She walked closer and he took her hands in his. She didn't stop moving closer, however, and he was on the edge of the bed. "I loved it. I hope to see you as the new queen of the vampire faction."

Maya chuckled. "Well, that's good, because if I get my way... I want to make you my advisor." She looked at him, searching for a reaction. Josh blinked.

"Wow," was all he said. "Are you sure you want that, Gorgeous? I mean, you'd have to pardon me and deal with my brother." Maya leaned down and kissed him, gently. Like he was the universe and time didn't exist, because, for the second time in her life, it didn't.

When she pulled away from him, eyes still closed, she spoke in a whisper. "I will deal with them. And Topanga already told me, most of the faction is talking about coming to the coronation. Your brother will deal with me being around." She took a moment. "But I need you to not be gone if that's alright with you. Besides, no one will ever know me better than you. You and Riles could have competed."

"You're giving me too much credit. You opened up to me first. I didn't, and yet you cracked open my skull and read my fears, read everything about me like a book waiting for you." Josh kissed her cheek. _Another stolen one._ Maya felt her cheeks burn up a bit."I love you and that's perfect with me, Little Ferret," he chuckled. Maya wasn't sure if it was relief or happiness in it, but it sounded equally beautiful. Maya laughed at the old-time nickname, her chest lighter with giddiness entrapping her in his arms.


	26. Angelic Ink

_Maya Hart. I don't actually know how to write a letter explaining it_ _to_ _you, so I wrote it about you because English class is probably my better subject. Like your art._

 _Maya is the most extravagant person I have ever dreamed of meeting. If she wanted you to love her, you would head over heels without saying a word to her. There's this Wow Effect and I don't think she even realizes she has it. I love her eyes - they're blue, like mine, but they have so much in them. When I look at her, I see both angelicness (the way she laughs, her smile, that look in her eyes when she's excited) and this treacherousness. If I fall in love with her, she holds all the power. She can destroy me with a single smile or she can make me one of the happiest people on Earth just by glancing at me. I know I haven't really explained why I feel like this, but I can't. It's in everything she does. Maya puts her soul into every stroke of a paintbrush, and what she does is beautiful. Every person she meets, she cares about and she is the most ferocious person you will ever meet if you try to hurt someone she cares about. At the same time, she needs love and she doesn't allow herself to have it sometimes. Maya hasn't been shown that hope is a horrible thing, but without, you're not living. Her secrets are practically nonexistent unless she wants you to know it exists and when she loves you -_

 _When Maya Hart loves you it's as if the comets have hit you with the most euphoric thing and it stays in your veins like a drug. You are either totally, utterly, completely in love with her that it takes everything you are, or you aren't at all. There is no in between. I don't think I'm worthy of her loving me, because she's more passionate than I can imagine myself being. But she must think so because she says she's in it for the long game. That was a long time ago, but she's still in it. So am I, and I don't think I can ever let her forget that. At the same time, however, I have to let her live. If she's waiting on me she's not living in the group she has created for herself. She communicates through her art and somehow, the pictures have gotten a little dark. I can't help but think it's my fault when she declines offers to leave New York City, saying she's waiting on something. She's magic, to me, and you don't let magic sit in a jar telling it that you'll let it out_ _someday_ _. I want to be with her, but she needs to live outside the jar._

 _\- Another letter to never be sent by Joshua, The Stupid, Matthews_

Sighing, Josh leaned back in his desk chair. His hand was a bit cramped now, and his back needed to be stretched. He glanced over to the other side of his desk - it was almost twelve in the afternoon, which meant classes. He stood up and searched the room for his bag.

* * *

It wasn't more than an hour after Josh had gone to his afternoon classes that his roommate walked into their dorm, searching for his car keys. Zach took one glance at the paper and rolled his eyes. Josh was his roommate and he adored the man, but he was the biggest sap to ever have existed. He had only seen the first line: Maya Hart. As if Josh hadn't talked about her enough, he wrote two pages about her? Yeah, well, Zach was fed up. He hadn't met Maya, but he knew she must have been pretty amazing if Josh was turning down dates from the prettiest girls in their friend group. Zach skimmed through the papers and nearly fifteen eye rolls later, he was pulling out an envelope from the drawer of Josh's desk. Zach sealed it, grabbed his keys from his bed and left the room. Josh was lucky he had time to run to Riley.

* * *

 _Josh, you are The Stupid. I'm not staying in New York for you, dummy. I've been saving up with Riley for a trip to Europe, but that requires us to finish school at the same time. The world isn't easy, Boing, you know that. On another note: w o w. I'm not as good at writing as you, and I'm too lazy to try honestly, but wow. Two pages. Riley gave the letter to me after Zach gave it to her. He's very annoyed with you, by the way. You should probably figure that out. And you know what? I'm annoyed with you too. Seriously. You write all that, all two pages of heart-stopping, dreamy words, everything I've ever wanted to hear from you and more, and you keep it to_ _yourself_ _? NO. However many more you've written, I wanna read them. I mean it, Joshua. You don't get to keep all this from me and you don't get to decide what's best for me and you most certainly don't get to say stuff like that and expect me not to demand we be together. I'm Maya freakin' Hart and you know that._

 _In regards to what you said: It's the most beautiful thing I have ever read. Thank you so much for that. But, you're wrong on a lot of points. For example, if you fall in love with me, we have equal power. Because you have both built me up and broken a part of me I didn't think anyone could touch. You are so amazing; I mean, you're as cute as a puppy. You have the biggest heart I have ever seen (besides Riley) and oh my freakin' God your eyes are so blue and calming and hypnotizing at the same time, like, HOW do you do that? HOW? The way you talk to Auggie is the most adorable thing and how family means so much to you. When I'm in the same room with you - I've fallen down in Topanga's arms. Ask her. I have. Because you're YOU. I don't actually know how to describe it but if comets hit you when you see me, it's like the moon hitting Tony Stark only I can't brush that off like he can. I'm no magic. I'm not, I mean it, but it's like the world is just a little brighter when you're around and my eyes are a bit clearer and the flowers are blooming and there are stupid birds are chirping. You're so funny and I can talk to you about things I can't talk to Riley about and I could do it for hours, but you're also so beyond stubborn you just won't give in to the stupid fluffy feelings you have to know you give out._

 _\- Maya friggin Hart, the girl you've been an idiot about._

* * *

When Josh found that on his desk, he'd been curious. When he'd read it, he'd been embarrassed, shocked, happy and again, embarrassed. He made a mental note to talk to Zach as he pulled out his phone and searched through his contacts. He wasn't entirely sure he should be asserting any kind of dominance at the moment, no matter how small, but he figured it was important enough.

To: _Artist Hart_

Message: _We should probably talk and maybe hold hands for at least six weeks out of the year if you want. Topanga's Cafe at 5, if you can_.

* * *

In all honesty, Josh wasn't sure why he had written that note. He only knew that it was one of the best ways he knew of the release whatever emotions he felt was about to make him explode. He also wasn't sure how he had left on the desk, open for anyone to read. Zach didn't usually care about his writings, but sometimes he cleaned and read what he found. (Josh often teased him lovingly about being a free butler.) Now, as it reached 5:20 PM in Topanga's cafe, he regretted it deeply.

Mostly, he regretted thinking Maya would show up.

Josh sighed, despair starting to trickle into his bloodstream as he stood up. He was going to go back to his dorm, maybe binge Sons of Anarchy, and then pray that the awfulness of the day would wash off him like a stream from rocks. A cowbell rang as he looked up, and a woman with golden locks rushed inside the cafe. Air got stuck in Josh's lungs when Maya came up to him, looking frantic.

"Oh, my God, I am so, so sorry - I can't believe you're still here. The train - it got stuck and now I'm late for Farkle's birthday party and to see you - Did I mention I'm sorry?" She breathed, her brows furrowing. Josh starting lightly laughing as she continued, smiling at her in amazement. "Are you _laughing_ at me?" She asked him, ending her rant, with a sharp voice. Josh shook his head, then dipped it down to brush her cheek. Maya froze and her cheeks turned a bright cherry red at his touch.

There was a squeal that sounded almost a scream. Maya smiled sheepishly at Riley, through the window of the shop. "Well, at least we have her blessing," the brown-haired man whispered light-heartedly.

"About that," Maya said, sitting down at the table. "I don't have long to talk so let's make it quick." Josh sat across from her. Suddenly, his nerves were jumping and his stomach felt as if he'd ate a bad taco. "I really like you and you know that. You're an idiot," she smiled, "to not tell me you like me, too." Josh knew Maya didn't say things like others sometimes. Smiling, calling him an idiot? She loved him. That was all there was to it. If she had told him he was an idiot then cracked a joke, it would have meant she loved him, but not in the sense he did for her. She would've been uncomfortable in the way things were now. But she wasn't uncomfortable, smiling lopsidedly at Josh with bright blue eyes.

He returned the same giddy smile, glancing at his hands.

"Why didn't you tell me, Boing?" Maya asked, leaning back in her chair. Her smile faltered waiting for the answer.

Josh continued smiling, however, if not to mask the regret he felt. "Rejection fear, I guess. I don't know, I just don't want to -" He stopped himself, shutting his eyes tightly. "I don't have a good reason, other than I don't know what you and I look like. I've never loved someone the same way that I love you, Maya," he told her slowly. Her eyes were pouring, but not with tears. It was a careful happiness, he thought. He could only imagine how he looked.

Still, staring at him, the blonde nodded. "That makes two of us, then. It's not a bad love, Josh. It's not wild and crazy, but it's not so subtle I doubt it."

"It's consuming and soft, sort of?" Maya grinned, nodding again. Looking over at Riley through the window, who was holding up her phone, her face contorted to terror.

"Oh, I'm gonna be late to Farkle's -" Maya was already standing, ready to run through the wall like an old cartoon. She looked back at Josh. He had soft blue eyes, watching her with a kind of attentiveness she had only seen in movies. Oh, she loved him. Being with him was like walking through clouds of bliss and it flooded her. It wasn't something where she had to run through the rain, screaming for a confession of love, because she wasn't so afraid of Josh and how he made her feel. What she was more afraid of was it ending, but she trusted him more than herself. He would never hurt her like that. Soft and consuming. Maya leaned forward and it looked like she was about to hug him, almost, but she brushed her lips against his cheek the same way he had done to her. "You're stuck with me," she said confidently, before turning and running out the door to Riley. Josh chuckled, watching the two women run down the streets of New York in a rush to get to their best friend.

* * *

 _ **So honestly all I wanted was some heart-warming fluff because one of my all-time favorite shows just ended and I needed something nice. I don't think this is my best format, though, and it's kind of short. I hoped you liked it, lovelies.**_


	27. Buttery Goodness

**I really liked writing this one, and I hope you do too. Do tell, what kind of chapters do you guys want more of?**

* * *

It was love at first sight.

The glasses were perfect circles, reminding her of her favorite Harry Potter. Her eyes widened in awe - they were even had a rainbow tint. She bought them, along with a few rings. Maybe it was too much, but Maya was always too much and she _liked_ it so why not? She was walking out of the low-cost store, probably one of the best ones in town, and sat on the wooden bench outside of it. The mall air conditioning was really generous of them, considering hardly anyone came in for anything other than that particular aspect. Maya Hart stuffed her remaining money in her denim pockets, ignoring a rip on the side, and put her shades on. They looked good on her and she didn't need a mirror to know she liked them - they radiated an energy of self-confidence that got Maya high.

Sometimes she wondered if she was weird. Then she shrugged, put on a fedora and moved on.

She tucked her head down at her phone, pulling it onto her lap as a security guard walked by, talking into his walkie. She wasn't guilty of anything, but it was almost instinct for half of her less-than-sweet little hometown. "Charlie, you're afraid of popcorn? Come on, he's just a kid..." The man muttered into his hand, almost. It perked the young blonde's ears, however, and she instantly stood up. It was a small mall, only a few turns and she was watching a man sitting in a comfortable lay-back chair, throwing popcorn at a guard. Maya walked closer slowly, chuckling to herself in utter amusement. It was both action-packed and hilarious - a better movie than half of what hits the box office.

"Dahnce, monkey, dahnce," the man cheered in a faux accent, a cheeky grin on him. Maya was... Impressed. She was, say, twenty feet away from them, and laughing like a child who'd just seen their uncle fake hurt themselves. He glanced over at her, winking. Oh, Maya realized, her laughter almost dying. He has dimples - nice ones. Then he threw another kernel at Charlie the Very Important Security Guard and the man lunged at the PC, Popcorn Culprit. The PC dropped the small bucket of popcorn onto the man, jumping back in his chair. His hand slipped, and PC fell onto the floor, rolling on his back. He stood up just as Charlie fell into the chair, slipping in his own way on buttery goodness. PC ran towards her, to her surprise, instead of out the front doors.

When he came up to her, Maya smiled calmly at him. He had dark brown hair, matching brown eyes that shined at her in excitement, dimples grinning. He was charming and he hadn't even said a word to her yet. "I'm Joshua," he said, taking her hand and shaking, "help me out of this?"

Maya nodded as she responded. "Well, you stupidly came over here to waste time talking when you should have run out the doors, but now you should shut up and run to the very back of Victoria's Secret and I'll meet you in the dressing rooms." He blinked at her, and she couldn't imagine what was running through his mind. Instead of retorting, he thanked her and ran down the hall to the brightest, and most pink, store. Maya was astonished at how trusting he was in her plan, especially since Victoria's Secret was mainly bras and underwear of the girl variety. Here, at least, it was. Charlie the Guard grunted as he got up, waddling after the young man.

"Hmm," Maya mumbled. "Pretty cool guy." She stood for half a second, processing what she was doing, then pushed her feet towards the room. It certainly was the most fun she'd had in ages. (Her friends were great, but even her lovely sister could be a bore on hot summer days like this.)

When she reached the room, people had turned toward her and the guard and then looked back at whatever they were holding. "People" meant three; a woman, and a woman and a girl not much younger than Maya. The blonde smiled at the child, watching Charlie go up to the counter. A woman worked today - Shellie, Maya thought her name was, although she called her Shell. Maya, pushing her glasses up on her nose with her middle finger (accidentally, she swears), moved silently towards the dressing room. It was in the far back, just past the guard and he didn't even see her. There were four small, white doors - two were open, one was close, and the fourth was creaked open with one brown eyeball staring back at her. "Why, hello, eyeball," Maya said sarcastically, but with a straight face. Her dead-pan sarcasm sometimes confused people and Maya was very proud of that trait.

The door swung open. "Well, hello, madam," PC - or Joshua - said in another faux accent. It was English, this time. "So, what's the plan, hippy glasses?" Maya tilted her head, disappointed in how generic the nickname was.

"You're gonna sneak out the famous panty store. I'm going to cry in front of Charles, out there," she dead-panned once again. Only she was serious this time. Joshua sat down on the bench inside the dressing room, taking her glasses off her face. He put them on his own, looking quite ridiculous.

"That's boring."

Maya chuckled. "I have to cry, PC, this is big practice for my future acting career." He raised a brow at her, his eyes unseen through the glasses. She took them back, almost poking him in the eye, and folded them over the collar of her shirt. "Okay, I'll get his attention, you walk away quietly."

She stepped out of the dressing room and watched as PC gave her two thumbs up and hid behind a rack of women's shirts. He looked at one, giving it a weird face. Maya wondered if he was interested in fashion because he looked dumbfounded with the fabric. She ignored it and turned to look at the man and woman speaking at the counter, taking shallow, quick breathes. She had been working on _The Technique to Crying_ half of her life, thinking it had to become useful at some point. She yawned, bubbling tears at the bottom of her eyes, and then again until she worked up enough to look ready to fall to the floor. Maya made a loud, surely disrupting, sobbing noise. It only became louder the more time it took people o notice - they seemed to be avoiding her calls for comfort (not that she could blame her). "It's not fair," she cried out.

"Miss?" She looked over and saw Charlie staring at her, warily and as if he didn't know what to do. "Are you okay?"

Maya made another sob. "Nothing is okay, nothing will ever be okay again!" Maya ran her hand messily through her hair, knotting it. She looked a desperate mess, she was sure, in the eyes of a stranger. "My mom - she -" The vixen hung her head, almost dropping herself to the floor. In the corner of her eyes, she saw Joshua was gone. Looking up, Charlie was trying to stay a good distance away from her while slowly stepping closer. People stared at her. She made another choking sound, but it was less convincing as she glanced toward the doorway. Joshua was out of the store. "Actually, yeah, I am okay," Maya stated, wiping underneath her eyes. Tears were very messy, real or not. Charlie blinked at her. Maya took her glasses and put them on, smiling politely at the man.

Her job was done and Maya walked out the front door of the mall. She tied her hair into a ponytail with the band on her wrist, moving her shoulders to the music in her head. She stopped when she saw PC leaning against the wall of cement, waiting for her. He had a bowl in hand - it looked like he was drinking cereal but she dared not ask. "There you are," he greeted her as she finished her ponytail. "My partner in hormonal teenage crime."

"Say what now?" Maya asked, but he ignored her, putting his arm over her shoulders and walking to the curb with her.

"We'll troll the geese, nasty creatures, and spread havoc throughout the world with our looniness," Joshua announced. Maya didn't disagree but still imagined it playing out in her head.

"I'm not sure you could handle me, frankly, PC."

"Why do you call me PC?"

"Would you prefer Popcorn Culprit?" She asked, looking at him. He only smiled, shaking his head. Maya nodded in contradiction, looking around for her bicycle, locked to a column. She spotted it, across from them by the glass windows into a store. An empty one, albeit. It was baby blue with a metal basket on the handles - some had told her it was childish, but Maya had told them to _bleep_ off and _bleep_ themselves if they cared that _bleeeep_ much. She loved it. "Bye," she waved to PC dismissively, moving towards her bike. He blinked, before running after her, sputtering out words she had to think about in order to understand.

"Wait, you're leaving? But we're bonded now, partners in crime for life." He walked her to the blue thing, standing in front of it. It didn't block her way out, and Maya did think that was ever his intention, but she watched him anyway. He spoke in a way that reminded all too much of Flynn Rider: "You helped me escape Underwear Hell."

Saying it like that, with brown puppy eyes, Maya couldn't stop herself from bursting out laughing. PC almost looked hurt, but more-so interested. She put her hands on her hips. "Look," Maya said, "we're gonna exchange numbers and text maybe once and never talk to each other again. You could become the president in the next five years and I probably won't remember you. We're not bonded," she stated flatly, something you would hear out of a television's saddest scene, but she still smiled of amusement. "Now I have a book to pick up." The blonde swung her leg over her bike seat, but the brown-haired beauty stayed where he was, frowning.

"You're a bummer. And wrong," Joshua told her, before asking her what book it was. Her shoulders slumped as a car passed them, reluctantly deciding not to argue his opinions, even if she didn't agree with them. People didn't stay attached, at least not with her.

It was hot. Maya didn't feel like fighting or admitting that she wouldn't completely hate his company. "I'm going to the library for a new book, I don't know which one," she told Joshua.

He perked up, a smile gracing him once again. "Perfect, I'll help you." She agreed. "You'll have to walk with me, though."

* * *

Maya wasn't sure what she wanted to read next - mainly, it had been in her plans for the day to leave her house. Sundays tend to be boring or too loud for her to wrap her mind around, not that she wanted to. Her father and mother weren't the most civil, but Sundays Riley went to see their father and that in turn created chaos. Riley always went to Farkle's after, however, so there was no chance of her hearing the disruption. If Maya had been worried about that, she wouldn't ever leave on Sundays.

Joshua followed close behind the blonde as she started to lose herself in thought, thinking about her parents. He was quiet, surprisingly, although it was peaceful. Strangely comfortable, unlike anyone else she'd ever been forced into a silence with. Maya looked back at him; he even looked peaceful. Something in her gut told him he was a decent person, but everything about him seemed to scream he was more than decent. "Do you know where your book is?" He asked, seeing her glance at him.

Maya shook her head. "I didn't have one in mind. I'm browsing," she drew out. They stopped by an aisle, walking the different sides of the same shelf. The library was empty, as per usual, and Kathy the Cat Lady was working, as per usual. Maya stroked her fingers lightly over the spines of books - oh, how she loved all the words and worlds and adventures of them. Even the smell of old books was like spliff to the Hart. As she pulled one out, she saw Josh pull one of his own choosing through a gap on the shelf. The tip of his lips drew up almost twitchily before he turned back to the other books. He caught her staring, and Maya ducked away, looking interested in the one she held. In the corner of her eye, she could see him smile briefly.

"You like books a lot, huh?" He asked her, but Maya only nodded, feeling stiff in her throat. Like she might give something of something that was _obviously_ nothing away.

"They are my TARDIS in written form," she replied. Joshua looked confused but brushed it off. "And," she added, picking another one up with the image of a feather on the cover, "I want this one." The boy groaned in faux annoyance, chuckling.

"But our library adventure just started," he cried.

* * *

Maya was very much humored with him. Because of his eternal boredom, they went to the park, where Joshua sat next to her on a bench. He surprised her - she hadn't exactly expected him to start shouting ridiculous limes to strangers like, "Mr. Popper wants his hat back, imposter," in accents. Maya took a few minutes of hesitance, but when Joshua assured her ("You don't have to, but I'll do it with you, so you won't be the only crazy"), she smiled and screamed along with him. "Sally the Sparrow has a seed to pick with you, mister!" Joshua watched did at the top of his lungs and Maya broke off laughing hysterically halfway through it. He laughed with her, even as she tried to hide her redness. She was thankful he pretended not to see it.

After that, as a couple started walking up to them, ready to scold, he had to use the bathroom. Of course, he missed her smirk when he charged her with protecting his phone. That was probably his first mistake.

Instantly, he was gone and she was turning the screen on. Maya was lucky he didn't have a lock, although she suspected he wasn't the kind to keep secrets. Contacts were easy enough to find and then it was just getting past the format to enter her name and number. Maya messaged herself and set the phone back down on a water fountain top. Now, it was the true reason for putting her number in his phone. Maya clicked on her - or his - message and responded, taking a bundle of gallery photos and hitting send.

"What are you doing?" Joshua came put, furrowing his brows at Maya's satisfied grin. Well, at least he knew some warning signs. She shrugged, not saying anything. He took his phone and was met, as if on cue, with a blaring notification ringtone.

"I spammed you, PC, with memes. It's true love, obviously," she chuckled. It was only then she realized the time and grabbed her bike, parked next to her. "Also, I should start heading back to my house. My dad should be gone by now and Mom will want help finishing dinner." Maya didn't think there was a single red flag in her sentence, and she had said it so casually.

"You don't like your dad or something?" He asked. The blonde looked up at his words, surprised to see he didn't seem to mean to ask. Joshua opened his mouth like he was going to take it all back but then decided against it.

Maya shook her head. "No, it's just that... I don't want to talk about this, actually." She kicked up her kickstand and readied her bike to go.

"Sorry,' he muttered to himself. Ugh, Maya hated apologies. They made her feel guilty, even if it was supposed to be the other way around.

So she stood in her spot, sputtering with her eyes squeezed shut. "Look, it's not - I mean, I don't hate him, but it -" She didn't know how to respond. "It's complicated," she blurted. She whispered, mainly to herself. She didn't like getting herself all worked up, but it was how she was wired. Maya couldn't control it and she wouldn't apologize for being that way, not to others, anyway.

Joshua cracked a fragile smile at her, repeating that it was okay and he shouldn't have asked. His eyes seemed to pool around her, the blue near suffocating. She wondered how people ever wrote books with such unrealistic metaphors. They were quite nice to look at, however. His sincerity surprised her - never had she seen so much authenticity in an apology and claim of fault. Maya liked him, she did, but it was so strange. People were complicated yet so simple, but he defied those rules she had grown to know and understand. It was terrifying that her world could come burning down above her if she allowed him to defy more of her rules, but was it possible it was also enthralling? Simplicity she'd loved so much, flipped inside out.

Maya realized he was staring just as much as she was, speechless. Until he leaned in, slowly. Maya recoiled back instantly, her heart racing in her chest. "No, uh -" she breathed. "Sorry, but I just don't like people touching me. Ask my sister, she thinks I'm crazy." It was true; Riley thought it was strange that when someone touched Maya, it felt like pricks off of roses and acid had combined to repulse her. There was no reason for it, Maya just preferred to know or initiate the touch, even simple hugs, herself. Otherwise, it made her uncomfortable and her skin felt like she was being burnt.

Joshua shook his head, falling a step back. "No, I probably should have asked or something, sorry. Um, can we talk again, though?" He looked up hopefully at her. "You don't have to say yes, also."

Maya furrowed her brows, again perplexed by him, before smiling lightly. "Yes. I'd like that very much, PC."

Joshua let out a breathy chuckle, visibly relieved. "Send me a meme, then, huh?" Maya nodded, getting on her bike. She went down the trail and before turning, looked back at him. He still watched her, smiling, only now his hands fidgeted.

Joshua ducked his head, feeling absolutely giddy. She was a strange bird, but Joshua had always liked those more. Maya was obviously something more than just a strange bird, however, and he was dying to found out what. He'd never tell his friends because they would call him a sap and he would agree, but there was an invisible rope pulling him to her and he didn't want to cut it. "She said yes," he laughed out quietly, feeling like he had just won the grandest prize.

* * *

 **Fact: I went to Pride and they had Drag Queens and Kings and I now stan every single one of them and _(finally)_ have a flag and low-key started a mental relationship with one of the guys there because if social anxiety and my not being born three years earlier hadn't gotten in the way it could have been love, man. Hope you have a good day/night.**


	28. Death is a Mother Figure

**I made you wait two months for _this_ and I am so sincerely sorry. I really don't feel like I did it or you guys justice but I swear I tried my best. **

* * *

_The world really doesn't care unless you're pretty or dead. Well, just pretty in my case. I've been just over a decade and they still haven't heard of me. I think the funniest part is how most hauntings are from piano-playing, old-house ghosts and yet I listen to hip-hop and haunt an apartment I lived in for college._

 _I bet Casper is snickering._

Maya jumped up on the couch as the door to said apartment finally opened. The landlord - a beach-shirt-obsessed forty-year-old who liked dirty and double-sided comments a bit too much - had been inside not three days before. He had shown a lovely looking young man the place the day before. He was cute, cuter than the typical people who came around. Maya watched as the same good-looking thing came into the living room of the apartment. She smiled with a pleasant surprise. It contorted when a young girl stepped beside him. She was smiling like a sunshine of no other. Maya was instantly in love with the light she radiated as if they could have known each other like family if she was still alive. "Woah," Maya muttered. She didn't need to be quiet, she knew, but it came out soft anyway. It appeared that the man and the girl were related like family.

"Riley, this is where we live now," the man said. Maya snorted - he sounded nice. Riley laughed outright, staring right at the golden blonde.

"Why are you laughing at Josh?" The girl asked. No word can describe how Maya Hart widened her eyes before she stumbled over her legs over the couch to kneel in front of the brunette child. She wasn't older than ten.

Maya brushed blonde, curly strands out of her hair with a desperation. "You can hear me? See me?"

Riley nodded like Maya was playing an awfully dumb game.

"Who are you talking to, Riley?" Josh asked her, concerned brows furrowing. Maya merely glanced at him before Riley responded with a smug little smile.

"My new friend."

* * *

Maya was infatuated with the young girl. Josh and Riley, she found, were related by her father. Although she thought was too young to be her guardian, after something that Riley wouldn't say happened to her parents. Riley was a bright girl and knew that her uncle couldn't see Maya and Maya refused to tell her why.

It was dangerous, Maya found, to be living with them, whether or not they knew it. A dead girl with a live family could never end well. Riley would be twelve in a few months and the Hart was waiting for the day they decided to get a real house. Riley didn't have many friends outside of Maya, however, which saddened her more. She didn't want to leave the girl.

* * *

"Who's Maya, Riley?" Josh asked one day, sitting next to her on the couch. Riley shook her head.

"She's in my head. She's not real," she replied in monotone, just as the counsellor told her every session. Eventually, Riley merely stopped talking about Maya but didn't stop talking to her. Maya had a guilt she refused to tell the girl about.

* * *

"You left your laundry in the drier, so I brought it up," Maya loudly announced as she walked barefoot into Josh's room. It was about midnight and he had fallen asleep. Riley was at a friend's house for a sleepover and Maya needed to have a grownup talk with Joshua Matthews. "Also, you need to be nicer to Riles." He made a sound of confusion in his sleep, eyes still closed and not looking like he was willing to get up. Maya groaned, flicking her index finger upward. His blanket went flying across the room. "Get. Up! This is serious, Matthews."

He made no move, well, except a shiver from the sudden cold. "What?" He mumbled through his pillow. She squinted with furrowed brows. The dead girl was not happy.

Joshua slept with his phone next to him on a nightstand, charging. Instead of using her death-perks to get him up, she decided a nice, human way was a better pick. Maya picked up his phone, slid through the lock screen, and opened YouTube. Instantly there were sirens that finally lifted the man's head upward and he saw her. She wasn't smiling, not even at her decision. "Next, I'll dump water on you. I don't care that you have to work. What're you gonna do to me? _Kill_ me?" She stated with a strong dose of sarcasm. "Been there, done that, got the mug."

"Who are you?" Joshua shouted, scrambling to sit up on his bed. He crawled, quite badly, off to the side of the room by his window. "What are you doing here?"

Maya sighed, setting his phone back down. She said on his bed, facing him, with her legs crossed applesauce. (Worst rhyme of my childhood.) "Now, that I've got your attention." She grinned like a child. "I'm Maya, Riley's friend. I lived here before you and accidentally died because I ate my roommate's cooking." That was too blunt for him. Joshua stumbled over his words so much all the blonde could make out was "what" (a hundred of those), "who" and "get out". She shook her head. "I've tried, Dumbo still hasn't let me out. A whole rule out of Beetlejuice's guidebook to being dead, I guess."

Joshua shivered again and Maya realized it must have been cold with only shorts and a tank top. "Stop saying you're dead, crazy-woman-who-broke-into-my-house!"

"It's an apartment, not a house," Maya said softly, in boredom. "And I'm not a liar, so no. Listen to me, it's about Riley," Maya added so he might just take her seriously. People were really thick when it came to the dead being around.

"Don't touch her," Joshua suddenly screamed. Maya flinched at his abrupt volume.

"Wow, and here I thought you were nice. We're friends - I'm Maya! _The_ Maya." There lies the reason Joshua got a noise complaint in the morning because he started arguing with his dead roommate.

* * *

It was about three am when he finally gave in. He ran a hand through his hair, a wry look on his face.

"Let me get this straight," he muttered, exhausted and confused. "You're dead and my niece has been playing and talking to you since we moved here?" Maya nodded. "You died... Because your old roommate was a bad cook?" Maya shrugged and nodded again. It was the chicken soup, Maya still believed. "And I'm just supposed to believe all this and stop being so hard on Riley, even though I've been -"

"Pushy," Maya interjected. She knew he was about to say easy or understanding or caring, but that wasn't true. All his motives and intentions were right, but he had yet to ask Riley what she wanted and talk to her. "You need to tell her you to believe her, pull her out of that hippy shrink's office because I know all about those stupid rules. What, never tell people what you believe just because they think it's wrong? _That's_ the _wrong_ message, Matthews. Even if it is about ghosts or whatever." Joshua gave her an eyeing look and she waved it away.

* * *

It took three days for Josh to realize the truth of Maya's statements because she no longer hid. When Riley came home, she practically appeared out of thin air. When Joshua forgot clothes in the drier or the stove on, she loudly nagged him and then took care of it. And then, Maya was finally happy to report to him one day because Riley had been more joyous than a puppy with a chew toy. "You finally took her out of the shrink," the blonde yelled, throwing her ghostly arms around him in a hug. "Thank God, she's so relieved she doesn't have to talk about her dark feelings." Maya let go of the surprised man. "You know, she really hates the negativity he focuses on. Riley prefers to think of animals and cute things and she is honestly more adjusted than me." Maya smiled and Josh chuckled, realizing how Maya was both a mom and a sister to Riley.

* * *

There was a time when Joshua sulked all day. Riley mostly stayed away from him. They'd lived at the apartment for years now and had never been so... gloomy. Maya was dreadfully confused. She tried to ask Riley but the girl merely shook her head and went back to her drawings. The day itself felt doomed. It wasn't until Maya found a picture of Riley's father did she ask questions. "Why are you her guardian?" She asked Josh, who was putting clothes into a basket. "Where are her parents, where is your family?"

Josh looked up at Maya and she knew something was _wrong._ Something was out of place or it wasn't going to way it was supposed to. "They died in a car accident when she was little. A few years after my parents." Maya watched him with a horrified expression. "Today's the anniversary." Suddenly she understood. Guilt consumed her. Maybe she shouldn't have brought it up to him, and minded her own business - but her heart shattered for them. Maya was without words and Josh didn't seem to feel like hearing any. Maya frowned and walked up to him, her arms wrapping around his neck. She took him into a hug, one he was stiff in for a minute. Finally, Maya felt him rest his chin on her ghostly shoulder.

* * *

Maya was still as young and blonde and sassy as ever when it came the day for Riley to graduate. She couldn't go, sadly, because she didn't die on the public ground. She couldn't leave the apartment. But Joshua told her all about it: the caps being thrown, the blue of the gowns, even showed her a hundred pictures he took. Then Riley told them where she was going to college - across the entire country. The West Coast. Some part of the blonde's heart broke. Out of everyone she had ever seen or met, Riley was the best. She was so bright and funny and the purest person to ever live. Maya smiled anyway. She hugged Riley and told her it was amazing. Joshua watched her from the corner of his eye, checking for any reaction different from what she was showing. Maya didn't give him anything. Riley went to her room to call some friends, finally, and Joshua came up behind her. He realized how much Maya loved the girl, how much love she really had to give.

"She's all grown up now," Josh whispered. Maya grinned but it looked more like a frown. Maya went to sit down on the couch, watching the TV. He followed and sat next to her, watching a Disney animated movie. (Neither would ever apologize - Disney was a classic.)

"Yeah," she replied, her voice as soft as a feather, "I'm gonna miss her." She laid her head on Josh's shoulder, eyes on the TV screen. A few mysterious thoughts passed through the man's eyes, something through the spilt over his chest. Perhaps there were still some things he needed to work out.


End file.
